Dutchman takes top EU civil service job
Career eurocrat and Dutch national Alexander Italianer has been appointed to the top civil service job in the EU. Italianer will replace Catharine Day as secretary general to the European Commission on September 1.
He is currently head of the competition directorate under commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
According to the Financieele Dagblad, the appointment could damage Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s chances of being re-elected chairman of the influential Eurogroup.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has given her backing to Spain’s Luis de Guindos and one senior source told the paper the Italianer appointment may be related.
Italianer studied economics at Groningen University and has worked at the European Commission since 1985.
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