Donohoe faces challenge for Eurogroup president role

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will face two other candidates as he seeks a new term leading the Eurogroup panel of eurozone finance ministers in a vote next month.

Mr Donohoe, 50, took the helm in 2020 at the informal body of finance ministers, whose chief also carries weight in Brussels policy-making.

When Mr Donohoe ran again in 2022, he was the sole candidate.

This time, Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo and Lithuania's Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius are also in the running, according to the EU council.

The Eurogroup chair is tasked with making sure EU countries that use the euro coordinate national financial policies - a job whose significance was on full show during the 2008 global financial crisis.

The vote for the next president will take place during the Eurogroup's 7 July meeting in Brussels.

A candidate needs a simply majority of 11 out of 20 votes to be elected, and the result will be announced immediately afterwards.