As the commissioner-designate on internal affairs and migration, Austria's Magnus Brunner has the daunting task of rolling out new EU rules on asylum among the 27 member states.
At home, the 52-year-old finance minister is seen as a serious and pragmatic politician. He's been praised for his work on financial, economic and competition policy.
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Already a member? Login hereNikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.