The future vice-president of the ECB will be either Spanish or Irish.
"I have received two names. Ireland has proposed its central banker, Phillip Lane, and Spain its minister of the economy and competitiveness, Luis de Guindos", said Eurogroup President Mario Centeno, in a press release on Wednesday 7 February.
On Wednesday, Spain’s Finance Minister Luis de Guindos officially entered the race to replace Vitor Constancio of Portugal whose tenure expires at the end of May.
This announcement, made on Twitter by Mariano Rajoy, the head of the Spanish government, does not come as a surprise. Rumours about de Guindos’ candidature have been circulating for the past few weeks. On the sidelines of the last meeting of EU finance ministers held in Brussels on 23 January (see EUROPE 11945), he had not confirmed his intention to run as candidate for the post of ECB vice-president but did give his assurance that Spain would present a candidate.
Luis de Guindos’ candidature follows that of the governor of the Bank of Ireland, Philip Lane, announced on 30 January by Paschal Donohoe, Ireland’s Finance Minister (see EUROPE 11950).
It will be up to the eurozone finance ministers to select the future vice-president of the ECB at the Eurogroup meeting to be held on 19 February. The person selected will then be heard by MEPs and then formally nominated by EU heads of state and government meeting at the European Council. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)