Central Banks

ECB Race for No. 2 Job Kicks off in Brussels Before Board Revamp

WATCH: Former Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno discusses his candidacy fior the ECB Vice President role.Source: Bloomberg

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By Zoe Schneeweiss, Alexander Weber, and Jorge Valero

January 19, 2026 at 5:15 AM UTC

Updated on

January 19, 2026 at 2:34 PM UTC

Euro-area finance ministers are poised to start choosing the European Central Bank’s next vice president, in a decision that will set the stage for the succession to Christine Lagarde in the top job.

The meeting of the so-called Eurogroup convened in Brussels on Monday for a gathering overshadowed by US President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs over Greenland. Their discussions will ultimately focus on the selection of the No. 2 role at the Frankfurt-based institution.