Spain keen to keep ECB board seat once De Guindos leaves, economy minister says

By Caroline Stauffer

TORONTO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Spanish government will seek to keep a Spaniard on the executive board at the European Central Bank where the race for top jobs will kick off next year, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told Reuters on Wednesday.

Four of the six jobs on the ECB's executive board will become vacant by the end of 2027, beginning with Vice President Luis de Guindos, whose term ends in May 2026.

"From the Spanish side, we will, of course, work to keep on having a prominent representation and a seat at the ECB executive board," Cuerpo said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Toronto.

Speculation around Spain's chances to fill future vacant roles at the ECB resurfaced after Cuerpo withdrew from the race to become Eurogroup president last week.

The minister said it was "important that we have a balanced view of the final composition of the ECB council, once all the positions are filled in, because there needs to be a balance in its composition".

ECB President Christine Lagarde, chief economist Philip Lane and board member Isabel Schnabel will all reach the end of their terms in 2027, sparking a competition between capitals to secure the euro zone's most powerful monetary policy roles.

Asked if a Spaniard could potentially succeed Lagarde, Cuerpo said: "Well, it's early to say, but again, we will make sure also that whichever position we will be running for, we will present the best candidate possible."

(Reporting by Caroline Stauffer in Toronto; Writing by Jesús Aguado in Madrid; editing by Andrei Khalip)