Spain would back Carstens for IMF
SPAIN wants France’s Christine Lagarde to head the IMF, but the fund’s group voting procedures would oblige it to back Mexico’s Agustin Carstens if he stands, economy minister Elena Salgado said yesterday.
“Our presence in the IMF shares a seat with Mexico, with Venezuela and other countries of Latin America, so Spain’s vote is with the seat, an indivisible seat,” Salgado said.
But she also immediately said, “our view is that Lagarde is an excellent candidate and that is who we want to occupy the position.”
Mexican Central Bank governor Carstens and French finance minister Lagarde are the only declared candidates to head the IMF after previous director Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned to fight sex assault charges.