France wants Moscovici to head Eurogroup: report

(FRANKFURT) - Paris is looking to push its finance minister Pierre Moscovici as a candidate to head the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, the German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday.

President Francois Hollande is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Spanish and Italian prime ministers Mariano Rajoy and Mario Monti in Rome on Friday where he will "test the ground" for Moscovici's nomination, the newspaper said, quoting sources from Hollande's entourage.

A spokeswoman for German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, seen as a strong candidate for the post, said there was still plenty of time to decide before the current head, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, steps down.

"The term of Mr Juncker ... ends in July so we will have to talk about it but there is no change in our position," Marianna Kothe told a regular government news conference.

"A sitting finance minister should be president of the eurogroup, for good reason, because although monetary policy has been pooled, fiscal policy has not yet been," she said.

Schaeuble "has always said repeatedly that he is available but that he would also have nothing against Juncker continuing. He has always said he is in principle available."

However, Hollande has strong reservations about a German taking over the key post, Handelsblatt said.