Austria nominates Finance Minister Brunner as European commissioner

3 months ago 19

Austria’s conservative-led coalition government is nominating conservative Finance Minister Magnus Brunner as its next European Commissioner, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement on Wednesday (31 July).

German conservative Ursula von der Leyen was reelected by the European Parliament two weeks ago for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the European Union’s executive body.

Von der Leyen said she will invite member states to submit two names for commissioner candidates, one male and one female. By nominating Brunner, Austria joins a number of countries including France or Slovakia which made abstraction of her request.

Countries are expected to suggest candidates for the Commission in the coming weeks. Once the names are in, the EU begins a months-long process of vetting the nominees for conflicts of interest before EU lawmakers grill them in hours-long hearings about their plans for the role.

“Magnus Brunner is an experienced government politician with a high level of expertise in finance, economic and competition policy at national and European level,” Nehammer said on social media platform X in a posting that accompanied his statement.

Austria’s nomination of Brunner, 52, must still formally be approved by a cabinet decision and the main committee of the lower house of parliament, but both ruling parties have agreed on it, making those decisions largely a formality.

Austria’s next parliamentary election is scheduled for 29 September, by which time the next Commission will not have taken office. At the very earliest, the new EU Commission will be up and running by October.

Spokespeople for Nehammer’s office said Brunner’s nomination was a stand-alone decision, denying reports that it was part of a package of appointments that would be agreed upon together, including the next governor of the Austrian National Bank.

Conservative Economy Minister Martin Kocher remains the favourite for the post of central bank governor. The term of the current governor, Robert Holzmann, runs until 31 August 2025.

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)