Nicolas Schmit was appointed European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights in 2019. Born in Differdange, Luxembourg, in 1953, he studied economics and international relations before starting a political and diplomatic career as attaché in the Luxembourg Prime Minister’s Office. After serving as a Member of the Luxembourg Council of State, Schmit became Luxembourg’s ambassador and permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels from 1998 to 2004. He subsequently occupied a series of government positions, including Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Minister of Labour, Employment and Immigration, and Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy. He was elected to the European Parliament in 2019.