France well positioned to claim ECB chief economist post, Moulin says

PARIS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Bank of France Governor Emmanuel Moulin said on Tuesday it would be legitimate for a French person to get the job of chief economist at the European Central Bank.

"This is a position that we have never had in our history — the post of chief economist. We have some very good candidates — in fact, some very good female candidates - for this role; it would therefore be entirely legitimate for France to hold this position," Moulin said in an interview with the BFM Business TV channel.

Euro zone leaders are set to pick a replacement for ECB President Christine Lagarde - who said last month she will step down on February 7 - and two other key board members, Isabel Schnabel, who heads market operations, and Chief Economist Philip Lane, in the coming months.

The three appointments may be negotiated in the same process.

Only two candidates for the top job have been put forward. Spain nominated Pablo Hernandez de Cos, the General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements, and the Netherlands nominated Klaas Knot, its former central bank chief.

Both candidates "are central bankers who are extremely competent—pragmatic. And so, I don’t think there will be any change. Both candidates represent a continuation of Christine Lagarde’s approach," Moulin said.

Separately he said he expected French economic growth this year would be close to 0.3%.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Bertrand Boucey, Editing by Louise Heavens and Andrew Heavens)