Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s digital and competition chief, said she is running to head the European Investment Bank.
“I am pleased that the Danish government have put forward my name to be vetted as possible candidate for the position as president for the European Investment Bank,” she said in a statement.
“I confirm my availability for the assessment, awaiting the bank’s process and next steps,” she said.
If selected, Vestager would be the first woman to run the European Union’s bank which finances programs inside the bloc and abroad.
It is a post with plenty of opportunity for building an international profile, working on hot topics from climate to conflicts and — since a large part of the job is handing out cheap financing — photo ops.
Werner Hoyer, the bank’s current president, will step down at the end of this year after serving two terms. If Vestager were to take the post, she would be leaving the Commission well before her own mandate ends in October 2024.
Finance ministers will likely discuss the candidacy at an informal meeting in September. While governments usually try to agree by consensus, they can also take a vote.
