(Bloomberg) -- Mario Draghi could find himself moving from one top European job straight into another.

The Italian economist, who ends his term as European Central Bank president on Oct. 31, is being considered by Italy’s populist government as a possible candidate to head the European Commission, according to a report in daily La Stampa.

While Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte sidestepped a question on the issue at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, La Stampa reported that the premier is warming to the idea and that one key issue is whether Berlin would be fully supportive of Draghi. An ECB spokesman declined to comment.

Putting Draghi’s name forward might give Italy an unexpected prize in a European game of musical chairs, where the euro area’s third-largest economy was widely expected to come out empty-handed.

The veteran central banker is credited with putting an end to the sovereign crisis threatening the survival of the euro with his “Whatever It Takes” speech in 2012. His candidacy might break an impasse among EU countries that have so far been unable to converge on names for the union’s top jobs.

There would be some irony to Conte putting Draghi’s name forward to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker. His populist coalition has often attacked Draghi and ECB policies, and some of its members have openly flirted with the idea of Italy leaving the euro.

Even so, the government’s dominant force, League leader Matteo Salvini, has signaled he’s gotten over his past disagreements with Draghi and appeared to lend his support to the candidacy.

“I would be proud to have an Italian in the EU Commission presidency,” Salvini said Friday, according to news agency Ansa.

Even if he doesn’t move to Brussels, Draghi can count on another job offer of sorts.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Draghi should head the Federal Reserve, contrasting ECB stimulus policies with the rate increases enacted by Chairman Jerome Powell -- or “our Fed person,” as Trump referred to him.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Osaka at gviscusi@bloomberg.net;Alessandro Speciale in Rome at aspeciale@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, Jerrold Colten, Chris Reiter

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