Ep 128, presented by the Martens Centre: Commissioner Avramopoulos — New Commission standouts

In the new episode of EU Confidential, we talk migration and security with the EU’s outgoing commissioner for home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos. The Greek politician doesn’t mince words on migration, saying European leaders are quick to blame everyone else even though the issue is a “shared responsibility.” As a senior figure in the European People’s Party, Avramopoulos also discusses Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s place in the EU’s center-right alliance: “Mr. Orbán is doing whatever he can in order to be kicked out from the EPP family.” The podcast panel picks out key figures in Ursula von der Leyen’s incoming European Commission. POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson demystifies the U.K. general election campaign. And we analyse the state of Franco-German relations as Paris and Berlin attempt to put a rough patch behind them by presenting common ideas on the future of the EU.