About Nicolas Schmit
Nicolas Schmit served for 15 years as a minister in the Luxembourgish government for the Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbeschterpartei (LSAP), Luxembourgish Labour Party. Between 2004 and 2014 he consequently served as Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Minister for Labour, Employment and Immigration, and Minister for Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy.
In 2019, after being elected as a Member of the European Parliament, Nicolas Schmit became European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights. With his strong background in social affairs, Nicolas took the responsibility to strengthen the EU’s social dimension and to support workers and job seekers and to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. Nicolas works closely with his seven fellow European Commissioners from the PES family, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament and prime ministers from the PES in the European Council.
In his five years in the European Commission, Nicolas put Europe’s social dimension back on the Commission’s agenda. Being a defender of collective bargaining and of decent wages, he tabled a directive on minimum wages.
Nicolas Schmit knows how to deliver social and economic protection in crisis situations. During the Covid-19 pandemic, together with his fellow PES European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Nicolas pushed for and implemented the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) which saved 31.5 million jobs and 2.5 million companies across the EU.
Social protections and the preservation and strengthening of workers’ rights in emerging economic models – this has been a central theme of Nicolas Schmit’s work as European Commissioner. Under his lead, the EU adopted a directive on platform workers ensuring dignified, transparent and predictable working conditions. He also led the adoption of the European Child Guarantee which fights poverty and ensures children’s access to basic public services.
As European Commissioner overseeing the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, Nicolas also led the fight against homelessness by launching the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness. It brings together member states, European institutions and NGOs to share best practices and engage in dialogue on how to fight homelessness.
Before entering politics, Nicolas worked as a diplomat. He served for six years as permanent representative of Luxembourg to the EU. Nicolas contributed directly to the Maastricht Treaty, Nice Treaty and the project for a European Constitution. Between 1990 and 1991 he was counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the EU, in charge of the Intergovernmental Conference leading to the Maastricht Treaty. From 1991 to 1998 he was Director in charge of Economic and European affairs and Development cooperation in the Luxembourgish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nicolas Schmit is an experienced economist and holds a doctoral degree in International Economic Relations from the Faculty of Law and Economics from the University of Aix-Marseille.
He is married, with four children and 1 grandchild. Born in 1953, Nicolas comes from Differdange the south of Luxembourg. The assassination of his grandfather by the Nazis, when his father was only 12 years old, determined his personal and political beliefs.