卡米尔·科瓦尔切、马克·施罗尔斯和丹尼尔·巴斯泰罗报道称，知情人士表示，德国总理弗里德里希·默茨将分别会见争夺欧洲央行行长克里斯蒂娜·拉加德继任者位置的两名热门人选。
By Kamil Kowalcze, Mark Schroers and Daniel Basteiro German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet both of the frontrunners to succeed European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, people familiar with the matter said.
这些人士在披露私下讨论内容时要求不要透露姓名。据他们介绍，西班牙人巴勃罗·埃尔南德斯·德·科斯和荷兰人克拉斯·克诺特将分别与这位德国领导人会面，讨论竞逐该职位的事宜。克诺特的会面将在未来几天举行，而德·科斯的会面预计安排在未来几周。
Spaniard Pablo Hernandez de Cos and Dutchman Klaas Knot will each convene with the German leader to discuss their candidacies for the top job, said the people, asking not to be identified revealing private deliberations. Knot’s meeting will take place in the coming days, while de Cos’ is expected in the next few weeks, they added.
继拉加德明确暗示可能提前离任，以及德国决策者伊莎贝尔·施纳贝尔辞职后，默茨与拉加德职位竞争者的会面迄今成为欧洲央行行长之争正在幕后推进的最有力证据。
Merz’s engagements with the contenders for Lagarde’s position are the clearest evidence yet of behind-the-scenes movement in the race to lead the ECB, following a strong hint from her of a possible early exit, and the resignation of German policymaker Isabel Schnabel.
随着首席经济学家菲利普·莱恩的任期也将于5月结束，希腊总理上周预测，各方领导人将达成一项“一揽子交易”，一次性选出填补三个即将空缺职位的人选。
With Chief Economist Philip Lane’s term also set to end in May, Greece’s premier last week predicted leaders would make “a grand bargain” to choose people for the three impending vacancies all at once.
施纳贝尔的职位将于1月初空缺，欧洲央行已要求各国政府寻找继任者。欧元区财政部长下周开会时，相关讨论最早可能于届时启动。
Schnabel’s position will be free in early January, and the ECB has already asked governments to find a successor. Discussions on the matter could begin as soon as next week when euro-zone finance ministers meet.
作为欧洲最大经济体，德国在任何交易中都被广泛视为关键一方。另一个关键角色是法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙。目前，法国政府正努力推动预算案通过，法国因此在债券市场上受到更为密切的审视。
The position of Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is widely seen as crucial in any deal. The other key player is French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country faces heightened scrutiny in bond markets at present as his government struggles to pass a budget.
据知情人士介绍，法国总统尚未会见这两名候选人，但近几个月来，财政部长罗朗·莱斯屈尔、马克龙办公室主任及其欧盟事务顾问都已分别与两人会面。
France’s head of state has yet to meet the two candidates but Finance Minister Roland Lescure, the chief of Macron’s office, and his European Union adviser have all done so in recent months, according to a person familiar with the matter.
一名德国官员、法国财政部和克诺特均拒绝置评。德·科斯暂时无法置评。
A German official, the French finance ministry and Knot declined to comment. De Cos wasn’t immediately available for comment.
施纳贝尔宣布辞职，为主席人选的遴选进程注入了动力。与此同时，拉加德本周表示，不排除在2027年10月任期结束前“几个月”离任，此举也含蓄地提醒各国领导人，需要找到继任者。
Schnabel’s resignation announcement injected impetus into the selection process. Meanwhile Lagarde this week said she won’t rule out exiting “a few months” before the end of her term in October 2027, implicitly reminding leaders of the need to find a successor.
本周债券市场动荡骤然升级，若持续下去，可能为尽快敲定继任人选提供新的动力。如果西班牙总理佩德罗·桑切斯在议会中遭到否决，西班牙年内可能举行的选举，或许会成为尽快采取行动的另一理由。
The flare-up of bond turmoil this week, if enduring, could provide another incentive to settle the matter quickly. Possible elections in Spain before the end of the year after a parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez might become a further reason to act soon.
桑切斯和荷兰对等官员上周分别为本国候选人背书。德科斯曾任西班牙银行行长，目前担任国际清算银行总经理。诺特曾任荷兰央行行长。
Both Sanchez and his Dutch counterpart last week endorsed their own national candidates. De Cos is a former governor of the Bank of Spain and is currently general manager at the Bank for International Settlements. Knot is a former Dutch central-bank chief.
知情人士称，默茨即将进行的会晤表明，柏林方面已不再考虑提名德国联邦银行行长约阿希姆·纳格尔出任欧洲央行主席。
Merz’s impending meetings signal that Berlin is no longer considering the possibility of nominating Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel for the top ECB job, the people said.
对德国来说，除主席一职外，另一方案是让莱恩担任首席经济学家，不过让施纳贝尔负责市场业务也是一种选择。
For Germany, one alternative to the presidency would be Lane’s position as chief economist, though Schnabel’s markets portfolio also is an option.
潜在的德国候选人包括普林斯顿大学教授马克斯·布伦纳迈尔、伯克利大学教授乌尔里克·马尔门迪尔，以及刚刚卸任施纳贝尔即将在国际基金组织接任的职位的托比亚斯·阿德里安。德国前财政部长约格·库基斯也可能是潜在提名人。
Potential German candidates include professors Markus Brunnermeier of Princeton University and Ulrike Malmendier of Berkeley University, and Tobias Adrian, who just exited the job Schnabel will take at the International Monetary Fund. Former Finance Minister Joerg Kukies could also be a potential nominee.