Lithuania: President snubs Foreign Minister for EU commissioner job

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has suggested that he does not want to see Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis appointed to the European Commission (EC), BNS reports. Nauseda argued that Lithuania should seek an economic portfolio rather than a foreign policy one in the new commission, stressing that economic portfolios were equally important. He pointed out that there were “practically no remaining foreign affairs portfolios” available in the commission. Commenting on the possible appointment of Landsbergis to the EC, Nauseda said that economy had “hardly anything in common” with the foreign minister’s “sphere of interest.” Earlier, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte asserted that Landsbergis would make an “excellent commissioner,” whereas Nauseda has said that there are other, better candidates to the post. In Lithuania, the candidate for European commissioner needs the approval of the government, the parliament, and the president.