Robert Zoellick announced on February 17 that he would not seek a second mandate as president of the World Bank. Little has been heard since from Washington or Brussels about possible replacements. Does this mean there is some hesitation in the US administration about which American to nominate? Or does it mean that the unwritten convention, allocating the leadership of the IMF and the Bank respectively to Europe and the US, is at last giving way to the idea that the World Bank should be managed by the most qualified person, whatever his or her origin?
罗伯特•佐利克(Robert Zoellick)在2月17日宣布不再寻求连任世界银行(World Bank)行长职务。从那以后，华盛顿和布鲁塞尔对可能的接替人选都几乎没有做出任何表态。这是否意味着美国政府对提名哪个美国人有些犹豫？还是意味着国际货币基金组织(IMF)和世界银行的领导职务分别由欧洲人和美国人担任的不成文惯例终于开始松动，取而代之的观点是世界银行应当由最有资格的人领导，无论他来自哪个国家？