For the first time in history, the European Commission will have a woman of colour at its top table: Hadja Lahbib has been confirmed as the new Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality. Of Algerian descent, Lahbib grew up in Belgium’s Borinage region, historically known for its coal mining.
At the same time, the European Council will be led by former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, who has Goan and Mozambican heritage. While these appointments are historic milestones, they alone cannot realise the EU’s motto “United in Diversity” unless its institutions do more to reflect the rich diversity of backgrounds and identities within its member states.
Despite the EU’s oft-celebrated commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality, this year’s European Parliament elections campaign video glaringly failed to include any people of colour. It projected a narrow, exclusionary vision of European identity at a time when xenophobic rhetoric is gaining traction across the EU, further alienating and disengaging young citizens of minority backgrounds.
Currently, only 2.8 per cent of MEPs are from ethnic minorities, compared with over 10 per cent of the EU population. This disparity is echoed in figures from the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), which shows a strikingly low percentage of job applications for the EU institutions from ethnic minority backgrounds: 1.1 per cent Black, 0.5 per cent Arabic, 0.35 per cent Asian, and 0.33 per cent Latino. These numbers make it painfully clear: It’s time to burst the "Brussels-so-white" bubble.
Many people from ethnic minorities face compounded barriers in accessing opportunities within the EU policymaking arena. The elitist nature of EU politics, driven by financial and social capital, often disadvantages those from less privileged backgrounds trying to enter the EU affairs job market.
Consider the EPSO recruitment process, which can be limiting for candidates from minority and working-class backgrounds due to arcane procedures and limited access to networks. Urgent reforms are needed to empower a bigger pool of underrepresented candidates to apply and succeed.
The European Parliament should reinstate the Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) with a stronger mandate to address racial and economic injustices in employment. While appointing a Commissioner for Equality is a positive step, ARDI is crucial for driving these policies forward.
Beyond the European institutions, public and private organisations working in EU affairs must move beyond token gestures towards diversity and inclusion. These values are often reduced to footnotes in job adverts, but real progress requires substantive recruitment and training reforms.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that targeted mentorship and training can increase minority employability by over 30 per cent, with diverse workforces driving innovation and productivity. Such initiatives must extend across Brussels-based organisations, including private companies, trade associations, consultancies, think tanks and NGOs.
The EU, committed to evidence-based policymaking, should also collect ethnicity data as it does for gender data; the tools and frameworks to do so already exist.
Momentum within EU affairs is shifting toward transparency and merit-based practices, moving beyond tokenism. European institutions must lead in creating a truly diverse landscape reflecting Europe’s societies. Failure to do so risks widening the gap between policymakers and minority populations, further eroding trust in institutions meant to represent all Europeans.