Luxembourg Chooses Centre-Right MEP Over Socialist Candidate

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden has appointed centre-right MEP Christophe Hansen as the new Commissioner, bypassing the EU socialists’ lead candidate, Nicolas Schmit. Schmit, the current Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner and a prominent figure among European Socialists, will vacate his position as Hansen takes over. The announcement, made on August 22, did not address the requirement for a female candidate, raising concerns about gender representation in the new commission. Christophe Hansen, a senior politician from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV-EPP), was the leading candidate for his party in the recent European elections. With a focus on trade affairs throughout his parliamentary career, Hansen has been elected to the European Parliament three times and has played a significant role in key issues such as the Brexit trade deal and deforestation. His official appointment as Luxembourg's representative in the college of Commissioners is contingent upon passing a hearing in the European Parliament this autumn. The decision marks a setback for the Socialist party, which will now have one less representative in the upcoming college of Commissioners. Despite Schmit's strong case for re-appointment, the current political landscape in Luxembourg, dominated by the centre-right, has shifted the balance of power further in favor of the European People’s Party (EPP). Critics, including German SPD MEP René Repasi, have condemned the decision, suggesting Luxembourg should have emulated the Dutch approach in 2019, where a Socialist was appointed despite electoral losses.