Draghi succession may go down to wire amid swathe of EU vacancies

Bloomberg

The appointment of the next European Central Bank (ECB) head could potentially be delayed until just weeks before President Mario Draghi’s term expires amid a swathe of top European Union vacancies.
That’s one of the scenarios being discussed among EU diplomats, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. The complexity of upcoming negotiations could see the ECB post decided together with the head of the European Council in the autumn.
The bloc’s politicians face filling an unprecedented number of high-level posts this year that also include the presidency of the EU Commission — the hottest potato of the lot — and there’s currently no consensus on who should get the positions. They were meant to be selected in one go after elections this month for the European Parliament, which has forged a crucial role in ratifying the commission leadership.
The potentially messy outcome of those elections heightens the risk of a summer disagreement that prevents posts such as the ECB being agreed on in good time. Draghi’s non-renewable term ends in October.
“Whatever happens with the commission top job, then the ECB can be decided afterwards,” said Christian Odendahl, chief economist at Centre for European Reform in Berlin. “The commission seems to me a much more complicated decision politically. The ECB top job will probably be a part of the horse-trading at the end, but that’s not the priority.”
Such an outcome would potentially raise suspense among investors already battered by a slowing global economy and shifting rhetoric on trade tariffs, wondering who will take the lead shaping the region’s monetary policy for the next decade. This is the first time the top political and economic jobs are coming up at the same time.