Brussels, 15/01/2026 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 14 January, the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) voted in favour of the candidacies of Latvian Mārtiņš Kazāks and Portuguese Mário Centeno in the race for the vice-presidency of the ECB (see EUROPE 13783/15). After “informal exchanges of views with the six candidates”, “the committee's Coordinators, representing the majority of the committee’s composition, supported Mārtiņš Kazāks and Mário Centeno as the preferred candidates for this position”, said ECON Committee Chair Aurore Lalucq in a statement, as the European Parliament is only consulted in the nomination procedure. She informed the new President of the Eurogroup, Kyriakos Pierrakákis, as well as the Cypriot Finance Minister, Makis Keravnos. The Eurogroup could decide on a successor to Spain’s Luis de Guindos at its next meeting on Monday 19 January (see other news). (MB)