Sean Bartlett
Center for Global Development
[email protected]
WASHINGTON - Center for Global Development President Masood Ahmed released the following statement Wednesday on the news that Christine Lagarde was temporarily stepping down as managing director of the International Monetary Fund, following her nomination to lead the European Central Bank:
“Christine Lagarde can take credit for bequeathing an IMF that has become the premier international financial institution. She brought a rare combination of political sensitivity, personal empathy and tough but loyal leadership for her institution, carried out with a steady hand at a trying time for the world economy. Lagarde will be a hard act to follow but I am confident that the Fund is in good hands under acting managing director David Lipton.
"Running any central bank today requires not just technical competence but an ability to engage with elected politicians and the broader public. This is even more so the case for the European Central Bank which represents 19 sovereign governments. Having successfully led an organization with a 189 members, Christine Lagarde is exceptionally qualified to manage such a challenge.
“I know that no matter what future position she may hold, whether in Washington or Brussels or elsewhere, she will tackle it with her strong grasp of the substantive, weighty economic issues of our time while recognizing that the ultimate test for all economic policies is how they improve the lives of citizens everywhere.”
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