The silent starting gun has been fired. After Christine Lagarde’s naming as next European Central Bank president, the runners are already off in the race to succeed her as managing director of the IMF. This is a pivotal role. The multilateral order of which the fund is a pillar is facing multiple challenges. By keeping an American lock on the World Bank with the appointment of David Malpass, the US has perpetuated its half of the unofficial duopoly whereby a European heads the IMF. Yet the scale of the tasks ahead makes it vital the IMF contest is genuinely open and aimed at securing the outstanding candidate, on merit — European or not.
无声的发令枪已经打响。在克里斯蒂娜•拉加德(Christine Lagarde)被提名为欧洲央行(ECB)下一任行长之后，接替她担任国际货币基金组织(IMF)总裁的角逐者已投入竞赛。这是一个关键的角色。IMF是多边秩序的支柱，而如今这种秩序正面临多重挑战。美国人戴维•马尔帕斯(David Malpass)被任命为世界银行(World Bank)行长，让美国得以延续这种非正式的双头垄断中属于美国的那一头，另一头则是由欧洲人执掌IMF。然而，鉴于IMF未来面临的任务之艰巨，至关重要的是，IMF总裁的角逐要真正开放，并择优选定候选人——不管其是不是欧洲人。