ROME, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The race to decide who will be the next president of euro zone finance ministers is still open and there is every chance the successful candidate will be Italian, Italy's EU Affairs Minister Andrea Ronchi said on Friday.
Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker, who has been euro group president since 2005, is widely expected to be chosen for another two and a half year term when a decision is made in January.
However Ronchi said no decision had yet been taken and the Italian candidate, Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti, had a good chance of success.
"The race is still open, Italy has good possibilities, (Tremonti) has the competence and the quality," Ronchi told Reuters on the telephone.
Tremonti has never said publicly that he wants the job, but Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Foreign Minister Franco Frattini have both said he has all the necessary credentials.
Juncker made clear this week that he expected to continue in the post, saying that no other candidates had been put forward. ((Reporting by Paolo Biondi; writing by Gavin Jones; editing by Ron Askew; Rome newsroom; gavin.jones@reuters.com; Phone: +39-06-8522-4232))