Magnus Brunner
Austrian politician (born 1972)
Magnus Oswald Brunner is an Austrian politician of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) who has been European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration since December 2024. Previously, he served as Austria's finance minister from 2021 until 2024 in the government of Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Magnus Brunner | |
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 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration | |
| Assumed office 1 December 2024 | |
Commission | Von der Leyen II |
| Preceded by | Ylva Johansson |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 6 December 2021 – 20 November 2024 | |
| Chancellor | Karl Nehammer |
| Preceded by | Gernot Blümel |
| Succeeded by | Gunter Mayr (acting) |
| State Secretary for Climate Action and Energy | |
| In office 7 January 2020 – 6 December 2021 | |
| Chancellor | Sebastian Kurz Alexander Schallenberg |
| Member of the Federal Council | |
| In office 1 May 2009 – 6 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jürgen Weiss |
| Succeeded by | Christine Schwarz-Fuchs |
| Constituency | Vorarlberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Magnus Oswald Brunner 6 May 1972 Höchst, Vorarlberg, Austria |
| Party | ÖVP |
| University of Innsbruck University of Vienna King's College London | |
Magnus Oswald Brunner (German: [ˈmaɡnʊs ˈbʁʊnɐ]; born 6 May 1972) is an Austrian politician of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) who has been European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration since December 2024. Previously, he served as Austria's finance minister from 2021 until 2024 in the government of Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Early life and education
Brunner studied jurisprudence at the University of Innsbruck, the University of Vienna (Dr. iur.) and King's College London (LLM).
Political career
In Austria
Brunner was a member of the Federal Council for the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) from 1 May 2009 until 6 January 2020.[1]
He served as state secretary (Staatssekretär) in the Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology in the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
In Europe
Following the 2024 European elections, the Austrian government nominated Brunner as the country's European Commissioner serving under President Ursula von der Leyen.[2] Some journalists made Brunner in part responsible for the handling of Austria's desolate finances and concluded that he was the wrong choice for the position as European Commissioner.[3][4]
In July 2025, Brunner was among several European officials declared "persona non grata" by the Government of National Stability in eastern Libya after he and the said officials held an earlier meeting with officials of the rival Government of National Unity in Tripoli.[5]
As European Commissioner, Brunner has advocated for "return hubs" in countries outside the EU for migrants who have been ordered to be deported from the EU. In 2026 he stated: "People who do not have the right to stay in the European Union must be returned effectively. (…) This is what EU citizens expect, and that is what we must deliver."[6]
Other activities
European Union organizations
- European Investment Bank (EIB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)[7]
- European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)[8]
International organizations
- Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)[9]
- Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)[10]
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)
- World Bank, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)[11]
Non-profit organizations
- National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2021)[12]
Honours
References
- ↑ "Dr. Magnus Brunner, LL.M". Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ↑ Francois Murphy (31 July 2024), Austria nominates Finance Minister Brunner as European commissioner Reuters.
- ↑ Daniel Imwinkelried: "EU-Kommissar trotz roten Zahlen: Diese Beförderung hat Österreichs ehemaliger Finanzminister Magnus Brunner nicht verdient", 15 April 2025, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- ↑ Günter Traxler: "Nehammer, Brunner: Erst glücklos, dann Glückslos", 3 April 2025, Der Standard
- ↑ "Eastern Libyan authorities deport EU ministers, commissioner". Africanews. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ↑ Hanne Cokelaere (20 May 2026). "EU closes in on migrant returns deal". Politico Europe.
- ↑ Board of Governors European Investment Bank (EIB).
- ↑ Board of Governors[permanent dead link] European Stability Mechanism.
- ↑ Board of Governors European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
- ↑ Board of Governors Archived 2022-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
- ↑ Board of Governors World Bank.
- ↑ Board of Trustees National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism.
- ↑ "Erbprinz verleiht Orden an Österreichs Finanzminister Brunner". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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