Belgium is set to appoint Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib as its pick for the next European Commission, said the president of the Francophone center-right liberal Reformist Movement (MR) Monday — dealing a blow to Didier Reynders, the current Commissioner and initial favorite for the job.
“This designation reflects a desire for feminization and renewal both at the level of the party and public structures. It also marks the recognition of the brilliant work carried out by Hadja in the management of the presidency of the European Union by Belgium,” said Georges-Louis Bouchez on X Monday afternoon.
Bouchez is referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s call for a gender-balanced team of 26 Commissioners who report to her in her second term. The Commission president has sought to entice countries into nominating female candidates by hinting they’d be rewarded by a more powerful portfolio in the next EU executive.
The pick came after pressure mounted on the negotiating parties, with Belgium being the very last EU country without an appointed Commissioner. The move deals a huge blow to Reynders, after he repeatedly signaled he was ready to run for a second term as Commissioner. In June, Reynders himself lost the race for a different international top job: secretary-general of the Council of Europe.
The choice for Lahbib was sensitive both within MR and the new coalition, as Belgian politicians and diplomats see her as having failed in the foreign minister role. Whether or not it was a good idea to nominate her was one of the reasons of the delay, four Belgian officials said.
During Belgium’s EU Presidency, Lahbib called on the bloc to take a stronger stance on Hungary: In an interview with POLITICO, she urged EU governments to consider moving ahead with the procedure to deprive Hungary — which took over the presidency in July— of voting rights. Lahbib’s interests touch upon the neighborhood and migration issues.
European Council President Charles Michel was one of the people pushing for Lahbib internally, the officials said, because he is rumored to step in as the Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister.
The former TV-anchor-turned politician Lahbib was catapulted by her party leader into the role of foreign minister in July 2022 when the holder of the job, Sophie Wilmès, stepped down for personal reasons.
The outgoing Belgian government will still need to formally sign off on her nomination.