A. Sánchez-Aquí Europa
The first vice president of the Government and Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño, has won the race for the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and will become, as of January 1, the first woman to lead the main financial institution of the EU.
“We have reached a consensus on the candidacy of Nadia Calviño as the next president of the EIB,” announced yesterday the Minister of Economy of Belgium, Peter Van Peteghem, after obtaining the support of the Council of Ministers of Economy and Finance of the European Union (Ecofin) in Brussels. This is a six-year mandate that can be renewable. The decision still has to be confirmed by the board of directors of the EIB and the council of governors of the entity, which includes the same Ministers of Economy who this Friday chose Calviño.
Calviño’s main rival for the position was the Vice President and Commissioner for Competition of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, who has now announced that she will return to her position in the Community Executive.
“The support of the finance ministers for our candidacy is very good news. “It is the first time that Spain is going to lead the European Investment Bank, a fundamental institution for the European economy,” the Spanish vice president declared to the press after learning of her appointment. “This appointment confirms the appreciation, respect and leadership of Spain in the European and international arena, which we have achieved with the hard and intense work of recent years,” she added.
For Calviño, this candidacy was especially relevant after her failed attempts to direct the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the departure of Christine Lagarde to the European Central Bank (ECB) and to preside over the Eurogroup, made up of the economic ministers of the area. euro.
Shortly after learning of the official decision, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, congratulated Calviño via X (former Twitter). “The appointment of Nadia Calviño as president of the European Investment Bank is wonderful news for Europe and a source of pride for Spain. She will be the first woman to preside over the EIB since its foundation. A recognition of her extraordinary career, rigor and leadership of the economic policy of our country. An election that reinforces the presence and influence of Spain in international organizations,” declared the president.
The EIB, founded in 1958 after the entry into force of the Treaty of Rome that established the European Economic Community (EEC), constitutes the main financial arm of the EU and is one of the largest development entities worldwide. Its mission is to contribute to the balanced development of the community territory through economic integration and social cohesion and through financing for projects that contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU, both inside and outside it.
