Name Nicolas Schmit Role Politician | Education Sciences Po Aix | |
 | ||
Born 10 December 1953 (age 70)
Differdange, Luxembourg ( 1953-12-10 ) Political party Luxembourg Socialist Workers'
Party Alma mater Institute of Political Studies, Aix Party Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party | ||
Nicolas Schmit on #beyondwork
Nicolas Schmit (born 10 December 1953) is a politician in Luxembourg. A member of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), he has been a member of the government since 2004.
He studied economics in France at the Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence. In 1979, he started his political and diplomatic career as an attaché in the Prime Minister's office in Luxembourg, followed by the Foreign Ministry. In 1989, he became Secretary to the LSAP's delegation in the Chamber of Deputies. He was appointed to the Council of State on 29 October 1991, replacing René Grégorius.
In 2004, was appointed to the first Juncker-Asselborn Ministry as Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, working under Jean Asselborn as Minister for Foreign Affairs. After the 2009 election, in which Schmit was elected for the Est constituency as the sole LSAP deputy. He didn't take his seat, as he was reappointed to the government, having been promoted to Minister of Labour, Employment and Immigration of Luxembourg. He is the chairman of the EPSCO network of the Party of European Socialists.
In January 2011, Xavier Bettel claimed that Schmit exerted undue influence on the Grand Ducal Police to drop charges against his 18-year-old son the previous month. Schmit denies that his assistance of his son amounted to undue influence, saying that his 'conscience is clear'.