European Commission VP Teresa Ribera backs first woman UN secretary-general

European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera on Wednesday signaled support for a woman becoming the next U.N. secretary-general for the first time in the organization’s history.

Writing on Bluesky, Ribera said she was “willing to see a woman leading the U.N.” Her comments come as speculation mounts over who will replace António Guterres in the top job when he steps down at the end of December after completing his second and final five-year term. His successor is due to take office on Jan. 1, 2027.

Four women feature among the seven candidates seeking to replace Guterres: Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa.

Grynspan topped the latest informal Security Council poll, while Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Senegal’s Macky Sall and Uganda’s Olara Otunnu are also in the field. All nine previous U.N. secretaries-general have been men.

Ribera’s intervention echoes that of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who said on American comedian Jon Stewart’s podcast Wednesday that “after 80 years of this multilateral order, I think it’s important, it’s fair that we choose a woman, the first woman, leading the U.N. as secretary-general.” Sánchez also called himself a “feminist politician.”

The race is unfolding as U.S. President Donald Trump pressures the U.N. to overhaul its finances and structure. Trump reportedly floated FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the job in July, though the U.S. has not formally nominated him.

The next U.N. chief will inherit an organization facing funding shortfalls and pressure to overhaul its structure, with the U.S. State Department saying in a statement that candidates must “get the U.N. back to basics and publicly commit to the changes we require.”

“The U.S. is not walking away, we’re not turning out the lights, but we are demanding reform,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said last Sunday.

The Security Council must recommend a candidate with at least nine votes and no veto from its five permanent members before the General Assembly can appoint the next U.N. chief, according to organization rules.