According to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Christine Lagarde? Only the first harbinger of Thursday's resignation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the possible candidacy of the current French Minister of Economy to the position of CEO of the institution gained credibility - at least in Europe .
"She has a very strong authority, which is vital to find a consensus in negotiations on important issues," said Anders Borg, Swedish Minister of Finance on the British television station Sky News.Christine Lagarde could also benefit from support from Berlin, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung - which qualifies it as "favorite".
Thursday noon, the main "interest" has called for "a gathering of European candidate" without discussing his own case. In France, Secretary of State for Transport, Thierry Mariani, acknowledged Thursday that it would be a "good candidate" but that it will be "difficult". Indeed, the nomination of Christine Lagarde does not have only advantages.
Why would it matter?
A true international stature: Four years spent in Bercy allowed Christine Lagarde to enforce internationally.So much so that in 2009, the influential British economic daily The Financial Times elected "best Minister of Finance of the euro zone."
She knows the situation in the euro area: Europeans want someone like Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has the necessary relations among countries in the euro area to conduct effective negotiations to resolve the crisis of sovereign debt. This is the case of Christine Lagarde, who participated in the development of all successive bailouts - Greece, Ireland, Portugal.
It has the American Fiber: The French minister is not a pure European product. She worked for nearly ten years in Chicago law firm Baker & McKenzie (1995 to 2004), it was one of the leaders.Of dealings with the United States which would not displease overseas because "even if the United States did not appoint the director of the IMF, their influence on the functioning of the institution is important," says Christine Rifflart, an economist at the French Office of Economic Conditions (OFCE), France 24.
She is a woman: Christine Lagarde is currently the only woman among the potential candidates. So far, all directors of the IMF have been men.The accession of the French Minister of Economy at the head of the international organization could be a powerful symbol of "able to forget the origin of European and French Christine Lagarde," Judge Robert Wade, an economist at the London School of Economics at France 24.
Why she would do the trick?
Even France? The current legal woes now former CEO of the Fund are that France is not among the favorites to field a candidate.A disadvantage of the more important since the IMF was established in 1946, four of its ten directors were the French (Pierre-Paul Schweitzer from 1963 to 1973, Jacques de Larosiere from 1978 to 1987, Michel Camdessus from 1987 to 2000 and then Dominique Strauss-Kahn from 2007 to 2011).
Yet a European? Since its inception, the IMF has always been a European director. This is the result of a tacit agreement with the United States, which, in turn, keep your hand on the direction of the World Bank. Emerging countries would like their growing weight in the global economy is finally translated by a director from their ranks.They may therefore be opposed in principle to all those who come from the Old Continent.
The "pan" Bernard Tapie: In France, Christine Lagarde could end up before the Court of Justice of the Republic for "abuse of authority." Indeed, the prosecutor asked in early May, the opening of an investigation. The minister is accused of having done everything to encourage the businessman Bernard Tapie in the dispute between, for over ten ANSl at Credit Lyonnais. The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine said Wednesday a report by the Court of Auditors very critical of the Minister of Economy. A political and legal scandal could be fatal to his possible candidacy for the leadership of the IMF.
