Spanish Finance Minister Nadia Calvino will be the new head of the European Investment Bank (EIB), EU members agreed today.
Nadia Kalvinjo will take over as president of the Luxembourg-based bank on January 1.
One of Nadia Calvino's competitors for the top position at the EIB during the past few months was Margrete Vestager, who took a leave of absence from her duties as European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda and Competition to "participate in the race".
Calvino told reporters in Brussels that she was grateful and honored to have received the support of fellow finance ministers to head the EIB, Politiko reported.
"The EIB will have an even more significant role in the future to finance the green transition, provide financial support for the reconstruction of Ukraine and also support Europe's role in the world," Calvino said.
The finance ministers of the 27 EU member states chose Calvino at a meeting in Brussels after they spent most of the previous night talking, but failed to reach an agreement, on the revision of national rules on spending by the EU, the Brussels portal writes.
By the way, the ministers did not even vote for the Spanish minister today because she already had the clear necessary majority.
The new head of the EIB will be in charge of directing billions of euros in loans to major infrastructure projects across Europe and will play a key role in rebuilding Ukraine and securing finance to fight climate change in the coming years.
The choice of the first man of the EIB was led by the Belgian Minister of Finance Vincent Van Petegem.
"I am convinced that Nadia (Calvinho) will be a very good president," said the Belgian minister, adding that there were five excellent candidates, but that with Calvinho, the EU will have a strong next EIB president.
Calvinho will replace German Werner Hoyer, who led the EIB for two terms, starting in 2012.
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