Après Trichet

Under a 1998 'gentlemen's agreement', the French President, Jacques Chirac, claims the right to nominate the next President of the European Central Bank when Wim Duisenberg retires in July 2003. However, it is likely that the proposed French candidate, Jean-Claude Trichet, will be put on trial in France early in 2003 for his role in a banking scandal. As France has no other obvious candidate, the editorial argues that the post should be thrown open to include all possible candidates, irrespective of their nationality.