The current Austrian Finance Minister, Magnus Brunner, is set to become the future European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration if he successfully passes the test of European Parliament hearings.
At least, this is what the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed on Tuesday 17 September. This is a choice that indicates a future toughening of the European Commission’s policies on migration and internal security, since Austria, for example, recently joined 14 other Member States in calling for innovative solutions to reduce the number of irregular migrants arriving in the EU, in particular by looking into systems for outsourcing asylum procedures.
Austria is also one of the countries seeking to return Syrian refugees to their country of origin, and has also campaigned for a tougher return policy.
This will be one of the major tasks for Magnus Brunner, who has been given, in the mission letter written to him by Ursula von der Leyen, the responsibility of steering the EU’s major new strategy on returns.
While the Austrian will in principle remain under the authority of Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, in charge of Technological Sovereignty, appointed by Finland and whose task, if she is accepted by the Parliament, will also be to supervise the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’, he will be in the front line to assess the implementation at Member State level of this major reform, consisting of around 10 texts, from 2026. At the end of the year, he will be responsible for receiving the first national implementation plans with the solidarity commitments envisaged in the event of a migratory crisis.
His mission letter also asks him to develop innovative solutions to counter irregular migration, within the framework of international and European law and taking into account the safety and dignity of migrants.
He will also be expected to work with Member States to develop a better system for rescuing and searching for migrants at sea.
He will also have to coordinate with the proposed Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica from Croatia, to work on new partnerships with third countries and develop the future ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’.
Finally, he will be expected to continue to ensure the proper functioning of Schengen, which is now being called into question by the increase in internal border controls.
Austria is one of the few Member States to have carried out continuous internal checks for several years.
He will also have to steer a new internal security strategy in 2025, writes Mrs von der Leyen, at a time when “the EU’s security landscape is constantly evolving, directly impacting the lives of citizens, as well as our societies and economies”.
The candidate will be responsible for “strengthening Europe’s internal security, designing and upgrading EU legislation, policies and operational responses to meet the many threats we face”.
Among other things, he will be expected to monitor the progress of negotiations on the regulation on the removal of child pornography content online - at a time when the EU Council has yet to adopt its mandate - and draw up a new anti-terrorism agenda.
His work will also focus on designing a European critical communication system for safety and security authorities, as well as continuing work on cyber security. The fight against Islamophobia, using new tools, will continue to be one of his priorities.
HIAS Europe, the world’s oldest refugee agency, responded in a press release on 17 September, “underlining the urgent need for comprehensive protection and support for refugees”.
“Ensuring fair treatment at borders and beyond, extending safe and legal access routes and helping the countries that receive the most refugees are all necessary ingredients for strengthening the EU’s humanitarian leadership. Solidarity and shared responsibility should take precedence over increased outsourcing, accelerated expulsions and other deterrent policies that put already vulnerable groups at risk”.
Link to mission letter: https://aeur.eu/f/dgr (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)