In the new upcoming European Commission led by President Ursula von der Leyen, the fight against antisemitism will be assigned to European Commissioner-designate for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner from Austria.
In response to a question from European Jewish Press, a European Commission spokesperson referred to the mission letter of the new Commissioner in which President von der Leyen tasked him to “to work on the effective implementation, and update as necessary, the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.”
‘’In light of the sharply rising threats against Jewish communities, both online and offline, you will need to support Member States to improve their safety and security I would like you to work on the effective implementation, and update as necessary, the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life,’’ reads the mission letter.
This strategy was first adopted in 2021. Since then all EU Member States have taken action against antisemitism but some countries are still lagging behind. Since the strategy was adopted, the situation for Jews in Europe has dramatically worsened, in particular since the terror attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and Israel’s military response against the Palestinian terrorist group which saw a rise of antisemitism never seen before.
The mission letter adds: ‘’You will also ensure that appropriate tools are in place to support Member States to combat anti-Muslim hatred to improve the safety and security of Muslim communities in Europe. You will contribute to the update of the Anti-Racism Strategy iIn line with Article 17 of the Treaty, you will lead the Commission’s dialogue with churches and religious associations or communities, and with philosophical and non-confessional organisations.’’
The Commissioner’s portfolio includes the EU Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, a post held since 2015 by Katharina von Schnurbein, who helps the Commissioner on countering antisemitism.
New Commissioner-designate for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has been Austria’s Minister for Finance since December 2021. He is a member of the Conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).
He is set to appear next week before the European Parliament for his confirmation hearing.