EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT deputies have postponed the appointment of Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch to the European Central Bank’s executive board in protest at “systemic” bias against women in appointments to the institution.
Mr Mersch, the head of Luxembourg’s central bank, was set to replace Spaniard José Manuel González-Paramo, who retired at the end of May.
The board post has been vacant as the appointment was linked to broader job changes at European institutions.
Mr Mersch’s appointment to the executive board will restock the six-person panel with an inflation-busting hardliner and add experience to a recent wave of younger newcomers to the central bank. But MPs in Strasbourg are concerned at the all-male make-up of the ECB’s governing bodies and the failure to consider any female candidates for the appointment.
“A decision was taken by the co-ordinators of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee to postpone the hearing of Yves Mersch,” the parliament said in a statement.
“[The decision was made] after it became evident that no female candidate had been considered for the position.” No new date has been set for the hearing. Euro zone finance ministers nominated Mersch for the executive board post in July. – (Reuters)
