The European Securities and Markets Authority has published and sent to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament a shortlist of candidates for its next Chair. The Council will appoint the Chair after confirmation by the Parliament, with the incoming Chair envisaged to start on 1 November 2026. ESMA's Board of Supervisors shortlisted Karen Dortea Abelskov and Carlo Comporti, listed in alphabetical order by surname. The candidates were selected through an open and competitive process launched after a vacancy notice, using the criteria in the ESMA Regulation on merit, skills, knowledge of financial markets, and experience in financial supervision and regulation.