Hansen had long been the Grand Duchy’s choice for the role, but the Socialists had hoped that outgoing commissioner Nicolas Schmit — who was the center-left’s lead candidate in the EU election — might have been able to stay on.
Hansen, an EPP politician who won election to the European Parliament in June, had been floated as a potential candidate for the agriculture portfolio, and also linked to trade.
“I am a farmer’s son and brother,” he told POLITICO earlier this summer when asked if he would be interested in the EU farm chief post.
Hansen took up a seat in the Luxembourgish parliament in 2023, where he sat on the agriculture committee. Prior to that, he was a member of the International Trade Committee (INTA) in the European Parliament where he led negotiations on the bloc’s deforestation rules.
The nomination of Hansen means that 16 men have been put forward for the next Commission, compared with just six women, including von der Leyen herself.
The Commission president had asked EU leaders to give her a choice between a male and female commissioner in order to build a gender-balanced team.
Paula Andrés contributed to this report.