Mário Centeno was chosen by the Portuguese government for the post and could become the first Portuguese member of the ECB's executive board since the bank was established in 1998.
What are the duties and responsibilities of the ECB vice-president?
Friday, 9 January 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Mário Centeno is a Portuguese economist and politician who served as Finance Minister from 2015 to 2020 and as President of the Eurogroup from 2018 to 2020, and later became Governor of the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal). His nomination for vice‑president of the European Central Bank matters because a senior Portuguese official at the ECB could influence euro‑area monetary policy decisions that affect interest rates and the economy in Portugal.
