Lithuanian president to continue representing country at European Council
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has confirmed he will continue to represent the country at the European Council (EVT), rejecting suggestions that Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė could take over the role, LRT reports.
Speaking to TV3 on Wednesday, Nausėda dismissed speculation of disagreements with the government over representation, stating that his relations with Ruginienė and her Social Democratic Party remain “completely normal and businesslike.” He emphasised that while he welcomes the prime minister’s active involvement in foreign policy—particularly in bilateral relations—he intends to maintain his own role in the European Council.
“I have excellent working experience there, very good collegial relations with other heads of state, the European Commission president, and the European Council president,” Nausėda said. “It would be unwise to abandon this, as it is a truly strong asset—and I have been doing it quite successfully.”
The president noted that he and Ruginienė had already agreed she would represent Lithuania at meetings of the European Political Community and climate change summits. He argued that his continued participation in the European Council allows Lithuania to leverage his established relationships, particularly in negotiations over the EU’s next multiannual financial framework.
Earlier, Ruginienė had suggested she could “perfectly well participate” in the European Council, while Nausėda’s chief advisor, Asta Skaisgirytė, ruled out the possibility of the prime minister attending even some of the meetings. The debate follows years of discussion over Lithuania’s representation in the body, with conservative lawmakers previously proposing that attendance should depend on the agenda—an idea Nausėda had dismissed as “unacceptable.”
The European Council, composed of EU heads of state or government, the Council president, the European Commission president, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, convenes at least twice every six months in Brussels, with additional meetings held as needed.