Vilnius (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis withdrew from the EU Commissioner race after President Gitanas Nausėda rejected his candidacy, citing a preference for more economically focused candidates.
Why did Gabrielius Landsbergis withdraw from the EU Commissioner race?
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has retreated from the EU Commissioner race after the country’s president refused to support his candidacy. In Lithuania, the candidate for the post of European Commissioner is typically appointed by the government, but this nomination needs the approval of the president.
“It would have been a great honour to serve as Lithuania’s European Commissioner, but I will continue to serve my country, help Ukraine and fight for Europe‘s future in other ways,” Landsbergis noted on X.
What were President Nausėda’s reasons for opposing Landsbergis?
Despite being the leading candidate from his party, Homeland Union – the leading group in the current right-wing government coalition, Landsbergis faced intense opposition from President Gitanas Nausėda, who considered him unsuitable for the position.
Landsbergis, who was deemed a leading contender for the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, has had a tense connection with President Nausėda, Poland’s state news agency (PAP) conveyed.
As PAP says, a couple of weeks ago Nausėda stated he saw better candidates than Landsbergis for the commissioner’s seat. The agency added that Nausėda implied that Lithuania should strive for a more economically focused commissioner. Presidential adviser Frederik Jansons meant that Lithuania’s commissioner post could be brought on by either Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė or Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė.
