Andrius Kubilius facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrius Kubilius MEP
Official portrait, 2024
European Commissioner for Defence and Space
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 December 2024
President	Ursula von der Leyen
Preceded by	Thierry Breton
Leader of the Opposition
In office 20 December 2012 – 14 November 2016
Preceded by	Vytautas Gapšys
Succeeded by	Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen (2019)
In office 20 January 2005 – 9 October 2006
Preceded by	Gintaras Steponavičius (2001)
Succeeded by	Gediminas Kirkilas (2008)
10th and 14th Prime Minister of Lithuania
In office 9 December 2008 – 13 December 2012
President	Valdas Adamkus Dalia Grybauskaitė
Preceded by	Gediminas Kirkilas
Succeeded by	Algirdas Butkevičius
In office 3 November 1999 – 26 October 2000
President	Valdas Adamkus
Preceded by	Irena Degutienė (Acting)
Succeeded by	Rolandas Paksas
Party roles Chairman of the Homeland Union In office 24 May 2003 – 25 April 2015 Preceded by Vytautas Landsbergis Succeeded by Gabrielius Landsbergis
Parliamentary roles Member of the European Parliament In office 2 July 2019 – 30 November 2024 Succeeded by Liudas Mažylis Constituency Lithuania Member of the Seimas In office 14 November 2016 – 1 July 2019 Constituency Multi-member In office 15 November 2004 – 13 November 2016 Preceded by Rolandas Paksas Succeeded by Ingrida Šimonytė Constituency Antakalnis In office 25 November 1992 – 14 November 2004
Personal details
Born	(1956-12-08) 8 December 1956 (age 68) Vilnius, Lithuania
Political party	Homeland Union
Spouse	Rasa Kubilienė
Children	2
Alma mater	Vilnius University
Occupation	Physical engineer • Politician

Andrius Kubilius (born 8 December 1956) is a politician from Lithuania. He is currently the European Commissioner for Defence and Space. This means he works for the European Union on important matters like defence and space.

Before this, he was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2024. He also served as the Prime Minister of Lithuania twice. He was the leader of a political party called Homeland Union for many years.

Early Life and Education

Andrius Kubilius was born in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. After finishing secondary school, he went to Vilnius University. He studied physics there from 1979 to 1984.

Career in Lithuanian Politics

Early Career

Kubilius became involved in the Sąjūdis movement. This group wanted Lithuania to become independent from the Soviet Union. He later became an important leader in this movement.

Soon after Lithuania became independent again, Kubilius was elected to the Seimas. The Seimas is Lithuania's parliament, similar to a country's congress or assembly. He has been an active politician ever since. In 1993, he joined the Homeland Union party.

Between 1996 and 1999, Kubilius was the Deputy Speaker of the Seimas. This is a high-ranking position in the parliament.

Kubilius with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, 29 April 2009

Prime Minister of Lithuania (1999–2000)

Andrius Kubilius first became Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999. He took office after the previous Prime Minister resigned. He led the government until the next parliamentary election in 2000.

During this time, he supported a law to ask Russia for money. This money was for damages caused during the time the Soviet Union controlled Lithuania. Other Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia, also supported this idea.

Prime Minister of Lithuania (2008–2012)

In 2008, Kubilius's Homeland Union party won the election. This was a big win for the center-right parties in Lithuania. He became Prime Minister for the second time on 27 November 2008.

As Prime Minister, he made some tough decisions to help Lithuania's economy. He cut government spending and even took a pay cut himself. He also worked to make Lithuania less dependent on energy from Russia. He believed Lithuania should have many different energy sources.

Kubilius was very firm about getting financial payment from Russia for the time it occupied Lithuania. He said this was a top priority for his government. His strong views sometimes made relations with Russia difficult.

Thanks to his policies, Lithuania's economy recovered very well. Many people see him as one of Lithuania's best Prime Ministers. He helped prepare Lithuania to join the Eurozone, which uses the Euro currency. He also reformed the energy sector. He was the first Prime Minister of Lithuania to serve his full term.

European Union Career

Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024)

In 2019, Kubilius was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He represented Lithuania in the European Parliament. He worked on important committees, including the Committee on Foreign Affairs. This committee deals with how the EU interacts with other countries.

He was also part of groups that worked with Ukraine and other countries. In 2021, he joined other MEPs on a trip to Taiwan. This trip showed support for Taiwan.

Standing Rapporteur on Russia

In 2020, he was chosen to be the European Parliament's main expert on relations with Russia. This role meant he helped shape the EU's views on Russia. He has always been critical of the Russian government.

He said it was "impossible" to have good relations with Russia. He also called for the EU to stop buying oil and natural gas from Russia. He often spoke out about Russia's actions in other countries, like Georgia. He also pushed for actions against those responsible for the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader.

European Commission (2024–present)

In July 2024, Lithuania nominated Kubilius to be its representative in the European Commission. The European Commission is like the EU's government. His nomination was approved by the Lithuanian parliament.

In September, he was given the important job of European Commissioner for Defence and Space. He is the first person to hold this specific role. This shows that defence and space are now very important for the EU. When he started, he said his main goal was to make the EU's defence stronger.

Personal Life

Andrius Kubilius is married to Rasa Kubilienė. She is a violinist in the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. They have two sons, Andrius and Vytautas, and three grandchildren. Besides his native Lithuanian, he also speaks English and Russian.

See Also

In Spanish: Andrius Kubilius para niños