Former Lithuanian PM Kubilius is nominated for EU defense role to boost European military power against geopolitical threats.
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Andrius Kubilius, a seemingly ordinary former Lithuanian prime minister, has been appointed by Ursula von der Leyen to lead the European Commission’s portfolio on Security, Defence, and Space for his second term. Despite his unassuming appearance, he is expected to transform the EU into a military power capable of navigating a geopolitical future without reliance on the United States. Kubilius is known as a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has long warned against Vladimir Putin’s expansionist ambitions, drawing from his own experience growing up under Soviet occupation in Vilnius. His career includes serving as Lithuania’s prime minister twice, during which he managed the global financial crisis. In this new role, he faces significant challenges: bureaucratically reorganizing defense structures and securing substantial funding—potentially through issuing eurobonds—to boost European defense industry investment to compete with NATO and other nations. Furthermore, his most pressing hurdle is overcoming the fragmentation of the EU’s defense industry, where member states prioritize domestic industrial interests over creating unified, scalable defense systems. Kubilius has been tasked with developing strategies for future military contingencies, an anti-air shield, and global cyber defense as Europe shifts from relying on US security to taking greater responsibility for its own defense.
