Germany to name Lautenschlaeger successor soon - ministry

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany intends to remain represented on the Executive Board of the European Central Bank and will shortly name a candidate to succeed Sabine Lautenschlaeger, who announced she would resign earlier this week, a Finance Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman declined to comment on the reasons for the central banker's decision to step aside before the end of her term of office, which followed dissatisfaction among hawks at the ECB's decision to respond to signs of weakness in the eurozone economy with a further loosening of monetary policy.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Paul Carrel)