Focused on job at hand, not future role, says Kristalina Georgieva as IMF chief term ends in 7 months
IMF and the first person from an emerging market economy. Keeping Georgieva on for a second term would answer longstanding concerns raised by emerging market and developing countries over the US-European duopoly at the two global financial institutions, the IMF and World Bank.
A self-described "eternal optimist", Georgieva has weathered huge shocks to the global economy ranging from the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic just months after she took office to the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is focused on bolstering prospects for medium-term growth which is lagging historical levels, managing the ongoing sovereign debt challenges and guiding the IMF through a complicated quota revamp.
Georgieva drew criticism inside and outside the Fund early on for her push to include climate change as a factor in surveillance reports on member countries' economies and her great interest in emerging market and developing economies. She's been instrumental in securing large loans for Ukraine, helping to catalyze additional funds to help its economy weather the strains of the two-year war against Russia's invasion, overseen a revamp of Argentina's massive loan program and worked steadily to help China embrace sovereign debt restructurings.
She also survived a big personal challenge in 2021 when the IMF's executive board expressed its full confidence in her after reviewing allegations that she pressured World Bank staff to alter data to favor China while serving in a top role at that institution. U.S.
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