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 →

The Editors at the Wall Street Journal continue to be the most reliable source of comic relief in this whole Wolfowitz-Zoellick episode. Today they’re warning of another World Bank “putsch” — their term for what happened to Wolfowitz — this time against Suzanne Rich Folsom from the Department of Institutional Integrity (INT). Continue reading →

David Woodward of the UK thinktank new economics foundation, provides a thorough assessment of Zoellick’s time as US trade representative concluding that it is “a track record of arm-twisting, blackmail, pay-offs and abuse of power in the WTO to promote US interests at the expense of the developing world”.  Continue reading →

Bloomberg reports Australian treasurer Peter Costello: “Zoellick is an excellent candidate for the World Bank presidency and will be supported by Australia.” Australia joined Brazil and South Africa last week in calling for “transparent” selection process based on merit and open to citizens of all nations. “Following the completion of current processes, it is Australia’s view that the World Bank should examine the selection process for the president,” Costello said. Continue reading →