Gabriel Makhlouf, the governor of Ireland's central bank, has said Philip Lane would be a strong candidate to take over from Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank, according to RTE.ie. Makhlouf described Lane as a "fantastic" choice for the role, the outlet reported on Monday.
Lane, an Irish economist, currently serves as chief economist at the ECB, a position that has placed him at the centre of the bank's monetary policy work. The remarks from Makhlouf add a public voice from within the eurozone's central banking circle to the discussion of who might follow Lagarde.
The question of succession has also drawn attention at the European level. Bloomberg reported that the ECB has asked EU leaders to begin the search for a successor to Lane in his current post, suggesting that planning around the bank's senior appointments is already under way.
The RTE.ie report did not indicate whether Lane has commented on the prospect of leading the institution, and no timeline for a decision was given in the material available.
What to watch next: whether EU leaders respond to the ECB's request and how quickly the process of filling senior roles at the bank moves forward.
