The Trump official who may lead the World BankPresident Trump plans to nominate David Malpass, the under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs, to head the World Bank, according to administration officials. “The nomination must be ratified by the bank’s board,” writes Peter Baker of the NYT, “but by tradition, the United States, the largest shareholder, has long named its president.” Mr. Trump is expected to announce his pick tomorrow. “Like Mr. Trump, he has questioned the scope and mission of international institutions such as the World Bank, saying they have grown ‘more intrusive’ and need to be refocused,” Mr. Baker writes. “The larger trend toward multilateralism, he has said, ‘has gone substantially too far.’”That makes him a contentious choice. “The prospect of such a steadfast critic of multilateral lenders leading the World Bank has already sparked concern and dismay within the institution and among international and former U.S. officials who deal with global finance and development,” write James Politi and Sam Fleming of the FT.

Source: New York Times February 05, 2019 11:31 UTC