Paris (AFP)

The appointment of the European candidate for the head of the IMF turned Friday at the duel between North and East, the Dutch Jeroen Dijsselbloem and the Bulgarian Kristalina Georgieva being the latest contenders in the running after the withdrawal of those of the South and Finland.

"A second round of voting is taking place at the moment with the two remaining candidates", explained the French Ministry of the Economy, which organizes the vote of the EU member countries to nominate their candidate for the general direction of the Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund (IMF). This post usually belongs to a European.

Olli Rehn, current governor of the Bank of Finland, announced his withdrawal on Twitter after the first vote held in the morning. "At this point, I withdraw my name from the poll, so that we reach a broad consensus around the European candidate and we get global support," he wrote.

A few hours earlier, the Spanish government had also withdrawn its finance minister, Nadia Calvino. Portugal had done the same with Mario Centeno, the current president of the Eurogroup, before the opening of the vote.

- Franco-German opposition

"This procedure is facing France and Germany, which support different candidates," told AFP a source close to the file, regretting the divisions that break out in the EU and fearing that they do not feed the ambitions of other countries, especially emerging ones who have been claiming the post for several years.

The French Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, in charge of leading the discussions to nominate the European candidate before the end of July, called for the vote the day before, an unprecedented procedure for an appointment of this kind, after noting that no candidates could not obtain the necessary consensus.

According to sources consulted by AFP, the Mediterranean countries have a negative view of the candidacy of the social democrat Dijsselbloem for his controversial remarks of two years ago, when he had criticized the countries of the South to squander their money in "schnapps" and in "women".

As for the conservative Kristalina Georgieva, who is about to celebrate her 66th birthday on August 13, she will exceed the 65-year-old age limit set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the vote of member countries scheduled before 4 October.

"It should therefore that the other member countries of the Fund make an exception for it and it is not won," warned sources close to the case.

- London gives up -

The British government, which had been given extra time to present a last minute candidate "if it wished," did not finally get into the European race at the IMF.

Voting takes place according to the European rules of the qualified majority: the successful candidate must obtain the support of 55% of the member countries, ie 16 countries, representing at least 65% of the population of the EU. Each country decides by e-mail, according to sources.

Since its creation in 1944, the IMF has always been led by a European while an American has always been appointed head of the World Bank.

The successful EU candidate will have until September 6 to register with the IMF, and will then have to convince the other members of the Fund.

Other countries are closely following the process led by Europeans, particularly emerging countries, which have been calling for better representation in international institutions for years.

According to sources consulted by AFP, the emerging could launch into the race the boss of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Mexican Agustín Carstens, former chairman of the Monetary and Financial Committee of the IMF, or even his successor, Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Central Bank.

© 2019 AFP