Pablo Hernández de Cos has won the backing of Spain's two main political parties for his candidacy to the presidency of the European Central Bank, according to El Correo. Prime Minister Sánchez and Feijóo, the PP leader, have both expressed their support. Feijóo gave his on Thursday.
How the two leaders voiced support
Feijóo expressed his support on Thursday before his fellow European party members, according to El Correo. It adds to the backing Sánchez gave in an interview with Bloomberg TV, where he said Hernández de Cos of course had his support.
At a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, Feijóo described the kind of candidate needed. He said the post required a reputed economist with proven experience and a great public servant.
Rival, elections and vacancies at the ECB
Hernández de Cos's main rival is Klaas Knot, the former governor of the Dutch central bank, El Correo reported. The paper said the cross-party consensus matters because Spain holds general elections on 29 November.
Hernández de Cos was named governor of the Bank of Spain in 2018, in the last days of Mariano Rajoy's government. He served nearly all of his term with Sánchez as prime minister.
The contest comes as several ECB posts change hands. Christine Lagarde's term ends in October 2027 and chief economist Philip Lane's is due to end in June 2027. The post that Isabel Schnabel will leave vacant must be filled before 3 January.