Deauville - European Union capitals now consider French
Finance Minister Christian Lagarde's appointment as the next head of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) a done deal, after US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton hailed the candidacy, a European official told AFP at the Group
of 8 summit.
"Lagarde? It's done," the senior source told AFP,
speaking on condition of anonymity as the decision depends on the IMF and not
on European Union or G8 leaders.
Europe has traditionally provided the managing director of
the IMF, and the major EU governments have rallied around Lagarde's bid for the
job following the arrest of former chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sex
assault charges.
On Thursday, Clinton said that although the United States
has not adopted an official position, she personally welcomed Lagarde's
candidacy.
"I am a strong supporter of qualified women, (of) which she
is certainly one, being given the opportunity to lead international
organisations," she said, referring to Lagarde. "I actually know her.
I admire her."
While Washington has also said Agustin Carstens, the
governor of Mexico's central bank, is a "credible candidate", the EU
official said diplomats at the G8 summit in Deauville had interpreted Clinton's
remarks as a Lagarde victory.