The government has formalised Mário Centeno's candidacy for Vice‑President of the European Central Bank. The former governor faces five rivals, none from Central Europe. Spain has no candidate and is not expected to back him. No women are among the candidates.
Centeno at the centre of a race between Southern and Eastern Europe for the European Central Bank's number two
Saturday, 10 January 2026RSS
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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.
