Former Slovenian President Danilo Türk, who served as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs under Annan, is an early front-runner. There is also talk of current UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, who is Bulgarian, and of two Slovaks, Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák and his predecessor, Jan Kubiš, entering the race.
事实上，某些有潜力的东欧候选人已经浮出水面，据说其中有些已开始积极展开竞选活动。曾在安南手下任政治事务助理秘书长的前斯洛文尼亚总统达尼洛·蒂尔克便是其中的领跑者。也有说法认为现任联合国教科文组织总干事、保加利亚人伊琳娜·博科娃和两名斯洛伐克人&mdash;&mdash;外长米罗斯拉夫·拉查克及前任外长扬·库比什也加入到这场角逐。最后，还有在五大常任理事国政府颇受尊重的罗马尼亚前外长米尔恰·杰瓦讷。