BERLIN (MNI) – The German government on Wednesday refused to say
whether it has entirely given up hope for a German national to become
the next president of the European Central Bank.
Government spokesman Christoph Steegmans told journalists at a
regular press conference here that he would answer that question
“neither with ‘Yes’ nor with ‘No’.”
The government will “make it clear in a timely manner” what it
plans to do, Steegmans said. For the moment it’s too early for a
European discussion about who should be the next ECB president, he
argued.
Earlier this month, the government had said that the nationality of
the next ECB president was not so important, but that the candidate
should share Germany’s views on monetary policy.
Bundesbank president Axel Weber declared earlier this month that he
would step down in April, one year before the scheduled end to his term,
and would not be a candidate for the ECB top job when incumbent
Jean-Claude Trichet retires this autumn.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com
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