By Anne Kauranen
HELSINKI (Reuters) – European Central Bank policymaker Olli Rehn is set to get another term as governor of Finland’s central bank, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Rehn’s current seven-year term as governor will expire next July, and the application period for the position closed on Friday.
The Bank of Finland said it received eight applications for the job, with the applicants including a nursing auxiliary, a class teacher and a portfolio manager.
“The re-election (of Rehn) is looking very clear,” a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Rehn, 62, announced last month that he would seek a second term in the position after his fourth-place finish in Finland’s presidential election in February. That vote was won by Alexander Stubb.
“I have energy and motivation to continue working as the governor, if I am chosen for it, and in the ECB Council,” Rehn told Finnish news agency STT in October.
The Bank of Finland’s Parliamentary Supervisory Council, consisting of nine members of parliament, will decide on their choice for the job next Friday and submit their proposal to the Finnish government, said Antti Lindtman, the council’s chairman.
The final decision on the appointment will be made by Stubb upon the government’s proposal, the Bank of Finland said.
(Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki; Editing by Paul Simao)
