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Eurocrat Dimitris Avramopoulos urged European leaders to "stop thinking about the political cost" when tackling the migration crisis on the EU's borders.

And he claimed that the European Commission was best placed to find a solution to the crisis because Brussels bureaucrats did not have to worry about seeking re-election.

His outburst, in an interview with the website Politico, was condemned as "breathtaking arrogance" yesterday.

"The Commission does not take the blame because it does not care about the political cost," said the EU migration commissioner.

"The Commission is here for five years to do its job and we did it with vision, responsibility and commitment. Because what is driving us is not to be reelected. That is why for us the political cost means nothing."