Lithuanian president’s office rejects prime minister’s potential participation in European Council

The Lithuanian president’s office has firmly dismissed the possibility of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė attending European Council (EVT) meetings, stating that only the president represents Lithuania in the body, public broadcaster LRT reports.

Asta Skaisgirytė, chief advisor to President Gitanas Nausėda, told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday that the council operates as a “club” where only full members—national leaders or their designated substitutes—can participate. “The answer is a very clear no,” she said. “If a leader cannot attend, they may ask a neighbouring country’s representative to convey their position, as Nordic leaders sometimes do. But the European Council does not foresee any other participant besides the Lithuanian president.”

Ruginienė had earlier told Lrytas she saw no obstacle to her own participation, suggesting a potential compromise with the president’s office over representation. “It would be excellent if we could return to the old system where responsibilities were shared by competence,” she said. “Unfortunately, the rules at the European level no longer allow that.”

The dispute follows years of debate over Lithuania’s EVT representation. Conservative lawmakers previously pushed for legal changes to permit the prime minister’s involvement, depending on the agenda, but Nausėda rejected such proposals as “unacceptable.” A 2023 attempt to regulate representation via legislation was later abandoned.

The European Council comprises EU heads of state or government, its president, the European Commission president, and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. Meetings are held at least twice every six months in Brussels, with additional summits arranged as needed.

In unrelated remarks, Skaisgirytė confirmed efforts to arrange a meeting between Nausėda and US presidential candidate Donald Trump, stressing that Lithuania must prepare “a portfolio of bilateral agreements” to present. “This US administration is very pragmatic and result-oriented,” she said. “Just going to Washington isn’t enough—we need concrete proposals.”