Ecofin bespreekt Wolfowitz' kandidatuur voor Wereldbank (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU Finance ministers are to discuss US candidate Paul Wolfowitz's bid for the World Bank's top job in the Spring Council in Brussels tomorrow (22 March).

According to Luxembourg Presidency sources, this discussion, which will take place over dinner, is merely procedural as it was included in the agenda before the US candidate's name became public. "There will be no conclusions", underlined the source.

Mr Wolfowitz, who is currently US's deputy secretary of defence, is seen by many as one of the chief architects of the Iraq war and a fierce neoconservative (an ideology that advocates the use of the US military muscle to spread of democracy and American values).

A veteran of both former president Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush Administrations, Mr Wolfowitz further angered EU member states when he signed a memorandum forbidding the awarding of reconstruction contracts to countries that opposed the Iraq war.

Cautious reactions

The EU has not yet given the green light to President George Bush's handpicked nominee and reactions have been generally muted, with the exception of UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who said Mr Wolfowitz was "very distinguished and experienced internationally" and that he would look forward to working with him if he won confirmation.

The French foreign minister Michel Barnier i was more cautious.

"We shall examine it in the context of the personality and perhaps in view of other candidates", he said.

German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul went even further, saying "the enthusiasm of old Europe is not exactly overwhelming".

But Mr José Barroso i cautioned against judging Mr Wolfowitz before he has been given a chance to air his views.

"I don't think we should be prejudiced about personalities, about people, I think we have to hear what their programme is, what their objectives are and judge their ability to implement those objectives", he said in a press conference on Monday in Brussels (21 March).

Brussels inviting for talks

In line with Mr Barroso's statement, European Development Commissioner Louis Michel i invited Mr Wolfowitz for a meeting to be held in the near future in Brussels.

Mr Michel's invitation, which was sent on Friday (March 18), has been accepted, according to Commission officials but no date has been advanced yet. Both men are said to be adjusting their agendas.

"I am looking forward to meet Mr Wolfowitz in Brussels to hear his ideas on development, the main challenges ahead and his vision for the World bank as a major actor", Mr Michel said in a press-release.

Collectively, the EU member states hold 30 percent of the bank's shares, but the two biggest single contributors to the Bank's coffers (US and Japan) are backing Wolfowitz in the race.

Traditionally, the EU chooses the head of the International Monetary Found, and the US the World Bank's, yet the arrangement was put into question five years ago when the US blocked the EU's nominee for the IMF, Caio Koch-Weser.

<Strong>MEP protests

A cross-party campaign is being launched in the European Parliament to block the appointment of Mr Wolfowitz to the Presidency of the World Bank.

Four MEPs, Liberal Andrew Duff, Green Dany Cohn-Bendit, centre-right Alain Lamassoure and Socialist Hannes Swoboda have signed a petition urging member states not to support Mr Wolfowitz's nomination.

Branding him as an "American pro-consul", Mr Duff warned that Mr Wolfowitz "will never command the trust of the global development community".

"The EU has more voting weight in the World Bank than the US. It should use it", he stressed.

Outgoing president of the World Bank James D. Wolfensohn is set to leave on May 31, 2005, upon completion of two five-year mandates at the helm of the institution, which lends around $20 billion per year to developing countries.