Christophe Hansen of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) has been selected as Luxembourg’s nominee for EU Commissioner, focusing on agriculture and food, edging out the outgoing EU Commissioner and lead candidate of the European Social Democrats, Nicolas Schmit.
In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio, Schmit expressed little surprise at the decision, stating that he had anticipated it. He described the choice as “typical” of Prime Minister Luc Frieden’s approach.
Schmit suggested that Frieden’s decision was primarily aimed at satisfying his own party. He criticised the move, stating that prioritising national coalition agreements or promises to party colleagues over European principles “reveals much about [someone’s] attitude toward Europe.” He added, “But again, this doesn’t surprise me when it comes to Mr Frieden.”
Schmit also criticised the composition of the new European Commission, calling it “typical” of President Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership. He described the distribution of portfolios as erratic, suggesting that the principle of “divide and conquer” was at play. “The more confusion you create, the easier it is to maintain control on top,” Schmit said.
According to Schmit, these developments do not bode well for efforts to create a more socially-focused Europe.
