Von der Leyen’s bold move: Austria’s Brunner gets migration

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to assign the migration and home affairs portfolio to Austrian nominee Magnus Brunner was one of her most unexpected choices when deciding on the portfolios for her new College.

Vienna’s recent tougher stance on EU migration policy, as well as Brunner’s own background, sprung to the fore.

Austria was behind a long-standing veto against Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the Schengen Area, and Vienna also voted against and abstained from some key laws in the migration pact passed at the end of the previous mandate.

Furthermore, Brunner, a former finance minister, has no significant experience or track record in migration policy.

Today, Radio Schuman spoke with Spanish Socialist MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who was the rapporteur for the legislative file — the Crisis Management Regulation — that Austria opposed.

We also bring you a brief overview of the agenda for today, including an important meeting between the Commissioner in charge of trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. EU’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are expected to be the main topic of conversation.

And finally, are you a non-smoker who is bothered by others smoking or vaping around you?

In that case, there’s good news from Brussels: the European Commission has recommended that EU countries ban outdoor smoking in places like café and restaurant terraces, bus stops and zoos. Will member states adopt these guidelines, or will they still allow people to light one up?

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.