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“If you look at the Constitution, the president represents the state of Lithuania, decides on the main foreign policy issues and pursues foreign policy together with the Government. Consequently, the formation of foreign policy is a matter for the executive. President and the Government are the Executive ”, explained V. Sinkevičius in the Delfi TV program“ Facts and opinions ”.
“Is it possible to establish that if social and economic issues are addressed, it is the Prime Minister? No, it is not possible, because the powers of the president to represent Lithuania, pursue and shape foreign policy are enshrined in the Constitution. If we want to restrict these powers of the president and to say that in some cases the prime minister is going to continue, we have to change the Constitution. And here there is no other way, “said the professor.
But, he emphasized, the Constitution does not prohibit reaching a political agreement on who can best represent the interests of Lithuania in certain cases: “If the President and the Government agree, I don’t see any problem here. That issue can be resolved without changing the Constitution. “
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Seimas Žygimantas Pavilionis says there have already been similar attempts to reach an agreement.
“The Prime Minister has tried to discuss this issue with President Nausėda a couple of times, the answer is very negative. I spoke with various politicians throughout Tuesday and asked them if it was normal for the President not to discuss the highest political strategy with the government chosen by the nation. This is not normal. Therefore, I ask the President to respect the traditions of our political culture, especially in foreign policy, where there will be no single soldier in the field, “said the deputy of Seimas.
Vytautas Sinkevičius
“Even in foreign policy, the president cannot act alone, he works together with the government. Did the president consult with the prime minister before going to the Porto Social Summit, which is the exclusive responsibility of the Government: exclusion, unemployment, poverty reduction? He asked.
Pavilionis: These are not foreign policy issues
Ž. The flag is convinced that if the dispute were transferred to the Constitutional Court, its decision would not be favorable to the president, as has already happened in some other states.
“In the Constitutional Act, when we joined [į ES] In 2004, it was clearly stated that the Seimas assigned mandates on these issues to government representatives, not to the President, ”Ž said. Pavilion.
“I myself negotiated the accession treaty for 16 years. There are three pillars, foreign and security policy is the so-called second pillar, which is not above national competence, we have a veto on that, there is a separate committee for that. But why are we creating European committees everywhere? Because it is a general, supranational competence, which in no way belongs to foreign policy issues. They are two different things “, explained the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas.
Sigismund Pavilionis
At that time, according to Professor V. Sinkevičius, the Constitution understood foreign policy in a broad sense, and the Seimas committee, he noted, could not really choose what to send to Brussels.
“I understand that foreign policy is not just about relations with countries outside the European Union. When the Constitution was written, foreign policy was understood in a broad sense: any relationship with other states. In this case, the Constitution is clearly on the side of the President and any attempt to restrict his powers through laws, committees, government resolutions would be an unconstitutional act ”, said the professor.
“The committee can express the position of the Seimas, its opinion on certain issues, it can suggest what it wants, but it cannot send anything to Brussels. <…> The Constitution does not give any committee the power to order anyone. Therefore, to think that you are empowering someone is an obvious lack of respect for the Constitution. The Seimas has the only lever in foreign policy, ratifies international treaties and nothing else, “he emphasized in the” Facts and Opinions “program.
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