'Nobody knows for sure what's going through Putin's head', says Nicolas Schmit

An armistice in the Ukraine War depends on the Russian President and "nobody knows for sure what's going through Putin's head," said Nicolas Schmit, the Luxembourgish EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, during an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio. Nonetheless, Schmit said he supports "all diplomatic efforts" to provide Ukraine with "a peaceful future".

Ukraine needs 'a clear perspective' for becoming an EU member

Schmit stated that strength is necessary to face Putin, who "must negotiate eventually, if he does not achieve his goals". When asked about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's use of his veto to prevent Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, the EU Commissioner responded that Turkey is always searching for ways to "put pressure on the west" and plans to "gain as many benefits as possible" from the current situation.
Despite this, Schmit believes Erdoğan will not be able to prevent the two countries from joining NATO "forever."

As for Ukraine itself, Schmit stressed that it needs "a clear perspective" for becoming an EU member an rebuilding the country, both from a material point of view as well as regarding the democratic system. The EU Commissioner argued that Ukraine should be "decidedly" introduced to the EU, also economically. One possibility would be to use Russian assets that are frozen in EU countries to fund the reconstruction. However, Schmit acknowledged that this option poses "a slew of legal issues."

Schmit also discussed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stepping down from the board of the Russian oil company Rosneft, which happened "way too late", according to the EU Commissioner. While on the topic of energy, Schmit added that Putin is "overestimating himself" if he thinks that Europe will not be able to provide for itself without Russian gas and oil. With solidarity and a "rapid reconstruction" of the energy system, the EU will be able to leave its dependency behind in a very short amount of time, the EU Commissioner assured.

EU countries should consider to 'favour telework'

As European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Schmit naturally also discussed labour rights and the future of the workplace, stating that "working hours and the way we work" are going through major changes at the moment. However, Schmit pointed out that big regulation changes cannot be implemented without talking to the social partners first. In any case, the EU Commissioner explained, the European Commission does not have the authority dictate a specific model to the EU countries. Schmit does think that it should be considered to "favour telework", as it is "one way to save energy".

Speaking about Hungary and Poland, the EU Commissioner stressed that "they should not receive European funds for free". They too "must respect the rules and not undermine the rule of law," Schmit said. The politician admitted that Europe "has a social cohesion problem", explaining that "there is poverty here and we must get people out of that". For this reason, the EU has the "social compass" as a tool against poverty that sets mandatory employment targets.

No significant risk of economic recession

It should be kept in mind, Schmit added, that the Russian President hopes that inflation and poverty will drive a wedge between the EU member states. This is another reason why the efforts for social justice are so important, Schmit argued. The prices of basic food items have recently increased again, partially due to production bottlenecks but also because the prices are tied to Ukraine's wheat exports, according to the EU Commissioner.

The main goal at the moment is to fight inflation and mainly "those who try to profit from it". Anti-inflation policies must not drive socially deprived people into poverty, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights stressed. Despite all of this, however, Nicolas Schmit thinks that the risk of an economic recession is "not high".

The politician from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) declined to comment on whether he will be a candidate during the next national elections in 2023.