Speaking ahead of today’s Eurogroup, which will discuss the candidates on the appointment shortlist for the European Central Bank’s executive board before the Council makes its recommendation tomorrow, Jonás Fernandez MEP, S&D spokesperson for economic and monetary affairs, said:

“It is very disappointing to once again find only two men and not a single woman on the candidate list for the ECB’s executive board. We, the Socialists and Democrats, have pushed hard to have more women in top finance job, and we will continue to do so.

“Whenever the Parliament has the power to decide on nominations for top jobs, we make sure gender balance plays a crucial role in the nomination process. Accordingly, we voted against the male-only candidate list put forward by the European Banking Authority earlier this year because of gender balance concerns.

“We have already called on the Eurogroup and the economic and finance ministers several times to match our ambition and commitment to gender balance. Today, nearly every single board of European finance and economic institutions is almost exclusively male-dominated. In the 21st century such lack of gender balance in top finance positions is simply unacceptable”

Note to the editor:

The European Parliament’s resolution of 14 March 2019 on gender balance in EU economic and monetary affairs nominations: “calls on governments of the Member States, the European Council, the Council, the Eurogroup and the Commission to actively work towards gender balance in their upcoming proposals for shortlists and appointments, endeavouring to include at least one female and one male candidate per nomination procedure.”

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