Spanish minister Cuerpo builds case for Madrid's candidate to replace Lagarde at the ECB

Updated: 9 November 2026 - 14:02 GMT+1 Spain’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo has backed former Bank of Spain governor Pablo Hernández de Cos to succeed Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Cuerpo told Euronews that Hernández de Cos’s economic expertise and reputation as a consensus-builder make him an ideal candidate for the job, as Madrid competes with the Netherlands’ former central bank governor Klaas Knot for the position. Lagarde has said she intends to step down on 7 February next year.