The European Social Democrats elected European Labour Commissioner Nicolas Schmit to be their lead candidate for the upcoming European elections with a large majority on Saturday. The Party of European Socialists (PES) is proposing that Schmit, of Luxembourg, take over the leadership of the European Commission and replace Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the European elections that are to be held in June. Schmit said defending European values and fighting against the shift to the right in Europe as one of his most important goals, in comments to the delegates at the party congr…