Belgium has appointed outgoing Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (MR) as EU Commissioner, missing the deadline but fulfilling Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's wish for more women at the table. What does the news mean for Lahbib, her party and Federal Government formation talks?
Leader of the Francophone liberal party Mouvement Réformateur (MR) Georges-Louis Bouchez confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon, celebrating the appointment as the "desire for feminisation and renewal" as well as a testament to Lahbib's "brilliant work" at the helm of Belgium's EU Presidency this year.
The 54-year-old liberal's appointment is "not that surprising," says Associate Professor of Political Science at ULB Nathalie Brack, since the job was always a toss-up between her and fellow party member Didier Reynders who has been EU Commissioner for Justice since 2019.
"[Lahbib] has the advantage of being a woman, which is bound to play into the hands of Von der Leyen, who was desperate for female names," Brack told The Brussels Times.
Why the deadline doesn't matter
Von der Leyen had asked all Member States to propose two candidates with at least one being a woman in the hopes of achieving gender parity. Most countries ignored this request and only ten women (including Von der Leyen and Lahbib) were put forward. In this context, coveted roles are more likely to go to female commissioners.
The fact that Belgium missed Von der Leyen's 30 August deadline will therefore have little impact on who gets what, says Brack. "The deadline is more a political game than a written rule." Von der Leyen has a host of other factors to consider: gender parity, political experience and matching countries with the appropriate portfolio, for instance.
"It is also a question of how to satisfy the European Parliament," which must approve all appointed Commissioners.
'Always complicated in Belgium'
Belgium was two days late for several reasons, most notably due to long-winded Federal Government negotiations.
"It is always complicated in Belgium because federal elections always coincide with European elections, and generally, the new government is expected to nominate the Commissioner candidate," Brack explains. "And so it always takes longer, because they are in the middle of negotiating."
In addition, not a single party wanted the position this year. With Flemish parties dominating talks, the ball landed again in French-speaking MR's court, even if accepting the commissioner position means forfeiting a ministerial position at the federal level.
Lahbib with MR party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
"I think MR tried to say, okay, it's on us, but we don't want to pay the political price," says Brack. "They are putting on a good show and sending someone, but it wasn't at the top of their list priorities."
"Lahbib was already elected to the Brussels Parliament and will be heading the list for local elections, so I don't think the Commission was part of her long-term plan."
However, MR performed exceptionally well in federal, Brussels and Walloon elections on 9 June, and accepting the commissioner position will not inflict major damage on their influence at home. "No one is going to be forming a government without MR."
