In the summer of 2022, MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez created a surprise by appointing the former RTBF journalist as Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since Sophie Wilmès left for family reasons and while waiting for a successor, it was Prime Minister Alexander De Croo who assumed the role.
“Hadja Lahbib was my first and only choice. It came quite simply, through the qualities that we know her for.“, explained the president of the MR during a press conference. “She perfectly embodies a meritocratic career: from a small house in Boussu [ndlr, où Hadja Lahbib est née en 1970] “Towards presenting the news, through hard work and commitment, from Boussu to rue des Petits Carmes (headquarters of the FPS Foreign Affairs), there is a very long road, and this road is exemplary,” added Mr. Bouchez.
Before that, Hadja Lahbib had built her career in journalism, a few years in the RTL group followed by a long career at RTBF combining field journalism in Belgium and abroad, presenting television news, reports and presenting cultural programs.
For those who were surprised by the arrival of a political novice in this Foreign Affairs post, the MR president had the answer.She may not have political experience but she has better knowledge than some of her predecessors when they came to this office.” he said.
Since July 2022, therefore, the one who presented herself as “neither left nor right“, et “fundamentally libre“, adding that she would stay”captain“with her soul defends Belgium’s positions on the foreign scene. Since November 2022, she has officially been a member of the MR.
Her term in office at the Foreign Office was marked by several episodes. There was a controversy as soon as she took office about a trip to Crimea with a Russian visa, while she was still a journalist.
We should also note this period in June 2023, when the minister was in the hot seat because of the granting of visas to an Iranian delegation. Before that, her duties as Minister of Foreign Affairs also led her to manage the delicate issue of the detention of Belgian hostage Olivier Vandecasteele, held by Iran and released in spring 2023.
During the first six months of 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was one of the major players in the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In the June 2024 elections, Hadja Lahbib was running for the first time in front of voters. She was a candidate in the Brussels regional elections where she was elected as a member of parliament with nearly 12,000 preferential votes, the fifth highest score in the capital.
For the local elections next October, the MR had chosen her to draw its list in Schaerbeek.
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