Belgium was the only EU country to miss the deadline set by President Ursula von der Leyen, who is trying to ensure gender balance among her senior officials.
Belgium will propose to his federal minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hadja Lahbibto be part of the next European Commission chaired by Ursula von der Leyen. The announcement was confirmed by Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the centrist Reform Movement (MR), on the X social media platform.
The news comes at the same time that there is a change in Romaniawhich replaces its candidate with the current MEP and former Minister of European Funds Roxana Manzatuat a time when Von der Leyen seeks to guarantee greater gender balance among his senior officials.
With these appointments, women would occupy 9 of the 27 senior officials of the Community Executive in Brussels. Bulgaria is the only country that has proposed both a male and female candidate for Von der Leyen.
Lahbib, who took over as foreign minister in 2022, succeeding Sophie Wilmès in Prime Minister De Croo’s government, played an important role during the Belgian EU Presidencywhich concluded in June.
Prior to his political career, Lahbib worked for more than two decades as news presenter for the Belgian French-speaking channel ‘RTBF’, where he was also special correspondent in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Belgium was the last EU country to present its candidacy to the European Commission, breaching the limit of August 30 set by Von der Leyen. “The deadline indicated by the president was, of course, not a legal term and there is no legal obligation to comply with it,” the spokeswoman for the CommissionArianna Podesta.
The appointment of the next Belgian EU commissioner was part of wider negotiations to form a possible coalition of five games in the Government of the country after elections held in June.
Lahbib turned out to be the chosen candidate amid speculation about other possible names, including that of the Belgian Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, and the current commissioner, Didier Reynders. According to the Belgian newspaper ‘Le Soir’, Reynders expressed his “deep disappointment” at the MR’s decision.
All countries present a candidate, only Bulgaria obeys Von der Leyen
With the presentation of Belgium, all member states of the EU have presented their candidates for the next Commission. However, the situation remains unstable, as Von der Leyen is rumored to have asked other countries to reconsider your candidacies in search of a Commission balanced between men and women.
The former president of the Romanian National Public Procurement Agency and official of the Braşov Chamber of Commerce, lied toheld a one-hour meeting with Von der Leyen on Sunday, as reported today by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Von der Leyen has replaced to the left-wing MEP Victor Negrescu as candidate from Bucharest.
“The president has been very clear about her ambition to form a balanced College of Commissioners between men and women,” a Commission spokesperson said of Von der Leyen’s goals.
