Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė on Monday proposed to the ruling coalition that Andrius Kubilius, a former prime minister and now an MEP, be nominated as the country’s European commissioner candidate.
“I can confirm that it is Andrius Kubilius,” Šimonytė told reporters after the coalition council’s meeting.
“I informed the coalition partners of my intention to nominate him as a candidate agreed upon by myself, as the prime minister, and the president,” she said.
Šimonytė said that President Gitanas Nausėda – who opposed the candidacy of conservative leader and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis – shared her opinion that Kubilius “would be a good candidate [...] for the new European Commission”.
She said she will nominate only one candidate from Lithuania, despite Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s request to propose two, male and female, candidates.
“All countries that have already submitted their candidates to the Commission president have proposed one candidate each,” the prime minister noted.
Šimonytė said it is important for Lithuania to secure a portfolio related to the EU’s strategic goals and agenda, such as the bloc’s resilience to various challenges, expansion, and competitiveness.
The prime minister noted, however, that Kubilius could handle any portfolio.
She described him as an expert on the EU and “a great enthusiast of European thought”.
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It is currently unclear when the Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, could vote on the nomination.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, speaker of the Seimas and leader of the Liberal Movement, did not rule out holding the vote after the parliament reconvenes for its regular autumn session on September 10.
“The first step is discussing the matter within the political groups. Depending on the decision regarding support, we could hold a special session or wait for the regular session,” the speaker said.
“I do not want to pre-empt any group discussions, because they will determine if there is support. Until then, discussing a special session makes little sense,” she added.
Čmilytė-Nielsen said that Kubilius’ candidacy could be viewed positively given his extensive experience in serving “in all key positions” and his “versatility as a politician”.
Aušrinė Armonaitė, Lithuania’s economy minister and chairwoman of the liberal Freedom Party, also said on Monday that she could not immediately express support for Kubilius’ candidacy.
“Today, the Freedom Party, and likely other coalition partners, could not immediately tell the prime minister: yes, of course, we will 100-percent vote on the day of the vote,” Armonaitė said.
“We have to return to our political groups. We respect every MP who has a vote and may want to ask questions of the candidate,” she added.
A candidate for Lithuania’s European commissioner is nominated by the government and must be approved by the president and the parliament.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of the TS-LKD party, was earlier seen as the ruling party’s top candidate for the post, but failed to receive President Nausėda’s backing.
Kubilius was re-elected to the European Parliament for a second term this year.
The former prime minister, who has served as a MEP since 2019, is an active advocate for closer ties between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, increased support for Ukraine, and a tougher stance toward the Kremlin.
Kubilius served as Lithuania’s prime minister in 1999–2000 and 2008–2012.
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