Brussels, 09/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The President of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, whose term in office of two and a half years expires at the end of June, is hoping to re-enlist.
The Dutch finance minister officially put himself forward as a candidate for a second term at the head of the Eurogroup, the informal body which brings together the finance ministers of the eurozone, in Amsterdam on Sunday 8 March, in an interview with the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant. In the interview, he said that he enjoyed the position and would like to continue to hold it.
“The Eurogroup is an informal group of ministers, it would make no sense for the European Commission to chair this meeting. The fact that it is a minister is an advantage, as he or she is experiencing the same situation”, Dijsselbloem said in late February in an economic dialogue session with the committee on economic and monetary affairs of the European Parliament (see EUROPE 11262).
Also standing for the presidency of the Eurogroup is the Spanish minister for the economy, Luis de Guindos, who received the backing of Germany in summer 2014. The uncertainty arising from the general elections to be held in Spain this autumn could complicate matters for the Spanish minister, if the presidency of the Eurogroup remains conditional on holding a ministerial portfolio. (Mathieu Bion)