Brussels, 29/11/2011 (Agence Europe) -On Tuesday 29 November, the Eurogroup was asked to approve the appointment of French national Benoît Cœuré to the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). France demanded that a French national be appointed to the ECB Executive Board in return for supporting Italian national, Mario Draghi, to take over from Jean-Claude Trichet as ECB President (which he did earlier this month). The game of musical chairs required Italian national Lorenzo Bini Smaghi to setp down from the ECB Executive Board. He announced earlier in the month that he will take up a new post in January 2012, lecturing at Harvard University in the United States (see EUROPE 10493). (MB/transl.fl)