madam president in today's uncertain economic climate it is more important than ever that the global institutions set up to ensure financial and economic stability which many countries around the world are dependent upon are not used to make symbolic political statements
the imf is not a symbol but a working institution that needs someone at the head of it who has a strong understanding of the financial markets the necessary skills gained from managing a large economy and the ability to communicate tough decisions to the general public
the strength of christine lagarde's candidacy is not that she is a european but that she is a hugely competent individual who has shown remarkable leadership qualities throughout the financial crisis
as the primary role of the imf is to work on conditional structural reform packages to accompany the distribution of funds to members when they are in dire straits i believe that ms lagarde has shown that she is well able to broker complex agreements on controversial issues successfully bringing together disparate parties to reach a beneficial solution
we must not get caught up in the prism of today's eurozone crisis but look to what problems the imf may face in the future
i believe that ms lagarde has the necessary skills and track record to lead the imf during this period of economic turbulence and to steer a path of reform at the imf to ensure its continued relevance for generations to come
turning to the matter of eurozone representation on international bodies as financial markets do not respect national boundaries it is hugely important that global institutions work effectively to coordinate national policy
while i am in favour of more coordination efficiency and the linking up of policies to avoid regulatory gaps i believe that the eu must not lose its diverse set of voices in international institutions
the crisis has shown the huge differences between the economies of the eu even within the eurozone let alone the differences between non-eurozone countries as well
all of our countries have been affected in different ways in the current crisis and we have different experiences
a single voice is not as strong as a multitude of voices singing in harmony
