Finance Min. wants second term as Eurogroup leader

Dutch Finance Minister and Eurogroup leader Jeroen Dijsselbloem is hoping for another term as the head of the eurozone finance ministers. A new appointment will be made in July and Dijsselbloem is expected to face competition from Spain's Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, Reuters reports. The Finance Minister said in an interview with De Volkskrant that he enjoys the job and hopes that he will be re-elected. He has been the Eurogroup President since January 2013. Eurogroup has had a big impact on working out bailout packages for indebted countries during the euro debt crisis. Complicating matters are Dutch provincial elections, planned for March 18th. The elections have an indirect impact on the makeup of the upper house of parliament. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's ruling coalition is expected to lose several seats in the senate. If the coalition is unable to cobble together support for legislation in the upper house, it could lead to a premature end to the coalition government, with Finance Minister Dijsselbloem out of a job at least temporarily. An early general election would then be called for the lower house.