Banks, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services

"Until June 2019 my thoughts will be on performing the duties of the president of the Bank of Estonia and a member of the governing council of the European Central Bank well, and I have no specific plans beyond that," Hansson told answering a question on whether he has chosen a new job for himself already.

The German newspaper Handelsblatt last week again named Hansson as one of the five people considered favorites to be the next chief of the ECB. Previously the same was suggested by Bloomberg in February. In an interview to ERR television news at the time, Hansson ruled out standing for the job.

"I have read these speculations and it's very pleasant when such things are said, but at the present moment I am not interested in that position myself primarily for personal reasons," Hansson told public broadcaster ERR.

On Monday, Hansson did not outright rule out becoming the next president, a vice president, or chief economist of the ECB. "Working on the board of the European Central Bank would be a very interesting challenge professionally, but I have already worked in seven countries and thinking about my family, my preference lies with doing something in Estonia. We'll see what the future brings," he said.

Hansson, 60, added that the speculations linking him to future membership of the executive board of the ECB are a compliment to his colleagues at the central bank of Estonia, who support his work in Frankfurt with top-level economic analysis.

Bloomberg in February named Chicago-born, Harvard-educated Hansson as one of the five top contenders for the post of president of the ECB when Mario Draghi leaves after completing his eight-year term at the end of October 2019.

Hansson's seven year term as governor of the Bank of Estonia began on June 7, 2012.