The European Union will consider who should head the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development when finance ministers meet in Brussels on May 19th, the Belgian Finance Minister, Mr Philippe Maystadt, said yesterday. "It will be discussed and I hope it will be decided because this institution needs to have a president as soon as possible," Mr Maystadt, who chairs the bank's board of governors, told reporters at the EBRD's annual meeting in Kiev.
The post of president at the London-based bank has been left vacant since Frenchman Mr Jacques de Larosiere retired in January.
The position is effectively in the gift of western governments, who are the principal shareholders in the bank set up in 1991 to aid the transition to a market economy in ex-communist states.
Diplomatic sources said the EU's British presidency was pushing hard for a speedy resolution to the issue, despite a French and German preference to postpone a decision until June after a bitter row over the European Central Bank (ECB).
"It's (British Chancellor the Exchequer Gordon) Brown's initiative to close the discussion at this month's Ecofin (finance minister's meeting)," said one source.
France wants another Frenchman to get the EBRD job and has proposed Mr Philippe Lagayette, former chairman of French state bank Caisse Des Depots et Consignations.
But diplomats said his chance of securing the post appeared to have diminished.
The French Finance Minister, Mr Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said in London on Saturday the new president would probably be appointed "in the next two weeks".
Mr Strauss-Kahn last week France would perhaps be "less combative" than over the ECB presidency.
France infuriated its EU partners by insisting that the Dutchman, Mr Wim Duisenberg, step down early at the ECB in favour of its central bank head, Mr JeanClaude Trichet.
Spain has also proposed its former finance minister, Mr Pedro Solbes, while other names in the frame include German secretary of state for finance Mr Horst Kohler and former Italian industry minister Mr Paulo Savona.
Mr Maystadt himself, previously seen as a front-runner for the job, has ruled himself out the race.
