The ex-president of the ECB, Mario Draghi, is considered a possible candidate for the head of the EU Commission – French President Macron is already campaigning for him, it is said.
In Italy there is speculation about a possible candidacy of the former President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, for the head of the EU Commission.
The renowned daily newspaper “La Repubblica” reported, citing diplomatic circles in Brussels and Paris, that French President Emmanuel Macron is campaigning for the 76-year-old as the successor to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The former German Defense Minister could then move to NATO as Secretary General, it was said.
There was no official comment, not even from Draghi himself. The French presidential office only said: “We have nothing to say about it.” A spokesman for von der Leyen also did not want to comment when asked by the dpa. The head of the EU Commission will be reassigned after the European elections in June. Acting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has actually wanted to quit for a long time. The Norwegian’s term of office has already been extended several times by the Western military alliance.
Draghi: EU is at a “critical moment”.
After his time at the helm of the central bank in his homeland, Draghi was prime minister for a year and a half until October 2022, although he does not belong to a party. In the fall, von der Leyen commissioned him to prepare a report on the future of the European Union. A few days ago, Draghi said that the EU was in a “critical moment”. Right-wing populist parties are currently on the rise in several member states. There are also fears that if former US President Donald Trump wins the election in November 2024, the EU will face tougher times.
According to “Repubblica”, Macron has already asked Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) about his personal details. The CDU politician von der Leyen has been at the head of the EU Commission since 2019. The 65-year-old has not yet said publicly whether she wants to continue. Von der Leyen is expected to announce by spring whether she will seek a second term in office.
Source: Stern
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