Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly proposed her finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, as next head of the influential Euro group of euro zone finance ministers.

Official sources in Berlin declined to comment on the German media report yesterday, but sources in Brussels suggested a “campaign” was under way to have him succeed his Luxembourg counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker when his term ends in June.

“I’m happy to repeat here that Mr Schäuble is an outstanding finance minister who plays an important role in the Euro group,” Dr Merkel said yesterday in Munich. She said she “couldn’t say any more” given a “series of personnel appointments” looming in the EU.

That added to speculation the Schäuble leak in Berlin was part of a wider strategy by Berlin to win concessions on other top jobs.

Other top jobs EU leaders have to assign soon include the head of the permanent European Stability Mechanism bailout fund.