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| - Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe submitted his candidacy Thursday to head the Eurogroup, which brings together the eurozone finance ministers. "As one of the longest serving EU finance ministers and members of the Eurogroup, it would be a tremendous honour to lead the group through the challenges and opportunities that present in years ahead," Donohoe tweeted. The Eurogroup had been headed by Portuguese finance minister Mario Centeno, who announced on June 9 that he was stepping down and not seeking another mandate. The group represents eurozone finance ministers, and played an instrumental role in coordinating the European response to the 2008 global financial crisis. It is now on the frontline of shaping Europe's economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, Donohoe noted. The Eurogroup "is playing a leading role in the EU's economic response to COVID-19", he said in a separate Irish government statement. "A strong European economy, with the euro at its heart, is essential for recovery, growth and job-creation in Ireland and across the EU." The Eurogroup is scheduled to elect a new president on July 9, with candidacy submissions closing on Thursday. Donohoe, 45, has been minister of finance since June 2017, a tricky period in which Britain's EU neighbour was trying to mitigate the economic damage and border upheaval of Brexit. Britain formally ended its membership in the bloc in January, but still largely operates as one of its members while the sides negotiating a brand new trade deal by December 31. Donohoe has held various positions in the Irish government since 2013, serving as minister of European affairs, transport and then public spending. After studying politics and economics, he began his career with the US consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble. "Ireland has long been a bridge builder," Donohoe said in the government statement, promising to work towards "sustainable and inclusive growth" among member states. bur-zak/phz/dl
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