Confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate: Hadja Lahbib – Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality

Hadja Lahbib a member of the Mouvement reformateur (MR) party, which sits with the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, has been serving as Belgian minister for foreign affairs, European affairs and foreign trade, and federal cultural institutions since 2022. She was elected as a member of the Parliament of the Brussels Capital Region in 2024 but is currently on leave to fulfil her ministerial duties. Before joining the Belgian government, she co-led the Brussels bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030. Born in Belgium in 1970 to a family of Algerian Kabyle origin, Lahbib obtained a master's degree in journalism and communication from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She then worked as a journalist and presenter for Belgium's French-speaking public broadcasting company and other broadcasters, where she gained international experience in covering conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. She produced several documentaries to highlight injustices, especially those against women in Afghanistan, Kenya and Belgium.