The International Trade Union Confederation’s general secretary Guy Ryder has said that the May 29 statement by the board “goes some way to allay the legitimate criticism of what have been unacceptable procedures for deciding who will lead the two main global financial institutions”.  Continue reading →

Although the U.S. Congress has no formal role to play in the World Bank presidential nomination game, they are poised to appropriate annual funding for the World Bank’s IDA and consider an authorization for the next IDA replenishment. Most reported reactions on Zoellick’s nomination have been generally positive from both sides of the aisle. But key World Bank overseer and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank is not impressed: “The second, high-ranking George Bush administration foreign policy, national security official in a row, I think is a mistake.” Continue reading →

In a letter to the FT, Dr. Ngaire Woods, director of Oxford University’s Global Economic Governance programme, calls on Gordon Brown to “step up to the plate”. Continue reading →

Sarah Anderson has a piece at Foreign Policy In Focus on Zoellick’s track record of pushing a trade as counter terrorism agenda. The best line: “But is a tone-deaf, name-calling steely opportunist a good choice to lead the World Bank?”

Yesterday Swedish finance minister Anders Borg answered a question from two MPs on the Swedish position on the selection process.  Continue reading →