Six candidates are in the running to become the next Vice-President of the European Central Bank (ECB), after nominations closed on Friday, January 9, 2026.
The current Vice-President, Luis de Guindos, will step down when his term ends in May 2026, and the selection process to find his replacement began at a Eurogroup meeting held on 11 December 2025.
The candidates are Mário Centeno from Portugal, Mārtiņš Kazāks from Latvia, Madis Müller from Estonia, Olli Rehn from Finland, Rimantas Šadžius from Lithuania, and Boris Vujčić from Croatia, according to a statement by the Eurogroup President, Kyriakos Pierrakakis.
Eurozone finance ministers, who make up the Eurogroup, will discuss the six candidacies at their next meeting scheduled for 19 January.
Selection process explained
After the Eurogroup discussion, the Council of the EU — which is made up of ministers from EU member governments — will make a formal recommendation for the role to the European Council.
This step requires the backing of at least 16 of the 21 euro area countries, accounting for a minimum of 65% of the euro area’s population, the latest statement pointed out.
Before the final decision, both the ECB and the European Parliament will be asked for their opinions, as set out by the European Union’s treaties.
The successful nominee will become one of the most senior officials at the ECB, which is responsible for managing monetary policy across the 21 countries that use the euro.
