18/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 18 January, the Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Giacomo Filibeck, announced that Luxembourg's Nicolas Schmit was the only candidate for the title of 'Spitzenkandidat' for his political family with a view to the European elections in June. “He was nominated by LSAP Luxembourg and has been widely backed by PES full member parties”, he stated in a press release. Mr Schmit will be officially appointed at the PES Electoral Congress in Rome on Saturday 2 March. Mr Filibeck recalled Mr Schmit’s work as European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, citing in particular the introduction of a minimum wage in the EU, the SURE instrument to support national short-time working schemes during the Covid-19 pandemic and the draft ‘platform workers’ directive (see EUROPE 13330/25). Mr Schmit was also Minister of Labour and a Member of the European Parliament. (MB)