MEP Mairead McGuinness from the Irish Party Fine Gael has been appointed commissioner for financial services, stability and capital markets union as Ireland loses the key trade portfolio following the resignation of Phil Hogan, a fellow Fine Gael polititian.
At a press briefing on Tuesday this week, the president from the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen pointed out McGuiness' "significant political experience on EU issues", and added how this experience "is crucial in carrying forward the EU’s financial sector policy agenda and ensuring it supports and strengthens the commission’s key priority, notably the twin green and digital transition.”
The resignation of Hogan comes after the scandal known as Golfgate, when he was accused of breaking Ireland’s rules regarding protection from coronavirus by travelling without good reason and attending a dinner party at a golf club with around 80 guests. In the meantime, the Irish portfolio will be entrusted to the former Latvian prime minister Valdis Dombrovskis as the new trade commissioner.
This article was based on original articles by Lauren Chadwick (Euronews) & The Brussels Times