CHIOTAKIS: In the wake of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation, there are new rumblings about who will replace him as head of the IMF. The odds-on favorite is France’s Christine Lagarde. But now Mexico has submitted a name. The BBC’s Matthew Price is with us from Brussels on why there’s so much jockeying for the top job.
Hi Matthew.
MATTHEW PRICE: Great to be with you Steve.
CHIOTAKIS: Tell us a little bit about Christine Lagarde. What is she known for in France?
PRICE: Well, in France she’s known as the first woman ever to become a minister of economic affairs in a G8 economy. She’s a lawyer by trade. She actually worked in the U.S. for around 20 years. She speaks fluent English and Forbes magazine ranked her the seventeenth most powerful woman in the world in 2009. So she is a formidable figure.
CHIOTAKIS: What about the emerging economies. We have this person from Mexico who perhaps is a candidate. What can they bring to the table?
PRICE: Yeah, Agustin Carstens. He’s their central bank chief. And I mean I think the emerging economies would sale, look the thing they bring to the table is they are a change from the past. Why should the IMF always be headed by a European when you have a much more diverse world economy at the moment. And you have certainly many of the emerging economies appearing to be in much greater financial shape than the already emerged economies.
CHIOTAKIS: Bottom line does it really matter Matthew?
PRICE: I think it probably doesn’t if the IMF is led in a purely technical way — a very balanced, objected manner. But European leaders are saying it does matter. They say Dominque Strauss-Kahn was a fantastic head of the IMF for Europe because he understood culturally and politically what Europe was going through with its sovereign debt crisis.
CHIOTAKIS: The BBC’s Matthew Price in Brussels. Matthew thanks.
PRICE: Thanks for having me.
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