Hadja Lahbib is the European Commissioner for Equality; Preparedness and Crisis Management. She is responsible for promoting equality and inclusion across the European Union, upholding the rights of minorities with the aim of creating a fairer society and social model for everyone. She also leads the EU’s work on preparedness and crisis management, ensuring a more robust and proactive approach to European crisis management and civil preparedness, both within our borders and on the global stage. In this capacity, she plays a central role in shaping and overseeing the EU’s humanitarian action worldwide. Working closely with the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), she sets the strategic direction for the Union’s humanitarian policy and ensures that EU assistance is principled, needs-based and in full respect of international humanitarian law.

Before joining the European Commission, Ms Lahbib served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium (2022–2024). She previously had a long career at Belgium’s French-speaking public broadcaster RTBF (1993–2022) as a journalist, news anchor and documentary filmmaker. Ms Lahbib co-led Brussels 2030, preparing the city’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture. She holds a degree in Journalism and Communication from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and completed executive training in Change Management and Digital Leadership at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management.