Nicolas Schmit elected as top candidate for European Social Democrats

The European Social Democrats elected European Labour Commissioner Nicolas Schmit to be their lead candidate for the upcoming European elections with a large majority on Saturday.

The Party of European Socialists (PES) is proposing that Schmit, of Luxembourg, take over the leadership of the European Commission and replace Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the European elections that are to be held in June.

Schmit said defending European values and fighting against the shift to the right in Europe as one of his most important goals, in comments to the delegates at the party congress in Rome.

He wants respect and not hatred, he said. "The best answer to the far right is our vision and our project for Europe, so that every citizen and every child can have a better life."

Schmit also emphasized the importance of a European security and defence policy. "We as Europeans must take matters into our own hands."

Germany's leading Social Democrat candidate Katarina Barley called Schmit the candidate best suited to social democracy. "He is a trained diplomat and someone who is absolutely sure-footed on the international stage," said Barley.

Schmit has been European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights since 2019. Before that, he was labour minister in the Luxembourg government for several years.

Schmit studied in France, where he also completed his doctorate in economics.

Alongside nominating the lead candidate, the parties also used the congress to launch its campaign for the EU elections and adopt its election programme.

Compared to the 2019 European elections, the Social Democrats are likely to make losses, not gains in the polls this year, as the centrist European People's Party (EPP) is in the lead.

Furthermore, anti-EU and right-wing parties are on the rise in some countries.

The post of European Commission president will need to be filled after the European elections, and as a rule, a candidate from the European party group that performs best in the elections is appointed.

With the EPP having a clear lead, there is a good chance that Ursula von der Leyen will be able to remain president. Next week, the EPP will officially nominate her as its lead candidate at a congress in Bucharest.