MILAN (Reuters) – Mario Draghi is not interested in the post of president of the European Commission, a source close to the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB) said on Friday, in response to a press report according to which Emmanuel Macron tries to convince other European leaders of the merits of his candidacy.
According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, which relies on diplomatic sources in Paris and Brussels, Emmanuel Macron informally approached German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the candidacy of Mario Draghi, who would also have the support of Joe Biden, according to the transalpine daily.
Contacted, the Elysée replied that it had no comment to make and Mario Draghi could not immediately be reached.
The current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, whose mandate comes to an end next year, is expected to become Secretary General of NATO, a vacant position next spring, according to the Italian newspaper.
Mario Draghi, former President of the Italian Council, was tasked in September by Ursula von der Leyen with building a plan to revitalize the economic competitiveness of the European Union in the face of the challenge of the energy transition.
(Reporting Claudia Cristoferi; French version Zhifan Liu and Augustin Turpin, editing by Kate Entringer)
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