FRANKFURT (MNI) – The German government will push for European
Central Bank Governing Council member Yves Mersch to join the ECB’s
Executive Board despite the negative vote in the European Parliament,
German newspaper Financial Times Deutschland reported on Thursday.
Finance ministers had nominated Mersch after “careful
consideration”, now the European Council must take the corresponding
decision, the newspaper cited government sources as saying.
The ECB also expects Mersch to join the Executive Board, the
newspaper said, citing Eurosystem sources.
Earlier on Thursday, Strasbourg MEPs voted down Mersch’s candidacy
by 325 votes to 300, with 49 abstentions, on the grounds that the
European Council had made insufficient efforts to nominate a female
candidate for the post.
However, the European Parliament has no veto power over the
assignment. The parliament had voiced no concerns over the
qualifications of Mersch, who currently heads the central bank of
Luxembourg.
— Frankfurt bureau: +49 69 720 142; email: jtreeck@mni-news.com —
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