Spain Foreign Minister Gonzalez Favorite to Lead WTO, WiWo Says

Arancha Gonzalez Laya, Spain's foreign affairs minister, smiles during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. Gonzalez Laya said the EU is prepared to work toward sealing a post-Brexit accord by the end of the year. Photographer: Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

Alexander Pearson, Bloomberg News

May 24, 2020

Share

(Bloomberg) -- Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez has the European Union’s support to become the next head of the World Trade Organization, WirtschaftsWoche reported.

  • U.S. opposition means that former EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has no chance of landing the WTO’s top post, the German magazine says, citing unidentified officials in Brussels
  • Diplomats in talks in Geneva have expressed sympathy for an African successor, but were unable to identify a compelling candidate, WiWo says
  • NOTE: Brazilian Director-General Roberto Azevedo’s decision to step down at the end of August, a year before his term ends, offers an opportunity for the U.S., EU and other nations to reshape the organization
  • Read more: How the WTO Picks a New Leader and Avoids a Collapse: QuickTake

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.