Jim Yong Kim, President of World Bank, abruptly resigns
Source: New York Times
The World Bank said on Monday that its president, Jim Yong Kim, would step down from his post in February to join a private infrastructure investment firm, an unexpected departure that comes nearly three years before the end of his term.
The abrupt resignation, effective Feb. 1, could prompt a clash between the Trump administration and other governments over the future of the international body.
The United States traditionally selects the president of the World Bank, which is made up of more than 100 countries, but Mr. Trump has taken a skeptical view about the importance of multilateral institutions.
The World Banks priorities like combating climate change and engaging in foreign aid also tend to be at odds with those of the Trump administration. Last month, the bank announced it would invest $200 billion toward fighting climate change over a five-year period.
The bank lent $64 billion to developing countries last year, a figure that included China.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/us/politics/jim-kim-world-bank-president.html
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during his 2012 appointment by President Obama.
His proactive views on climate change and third world development projects put him at odds with Trump, who is now likely to name a Bob Zoellick-style Nazi in his place.
VMA131Marine
(4,139 posts)he wasn't allowed to refuse?
sandensea
(21,635 posts)World Bank financing can be very important to smaller - but strategically important - third world countries, as they are often unable to generate the needed foreign exchange to pay for big projects themselves.
A Putin-approved toadie would enable him to approve or nix key development projects according to each small country's willingness to play along.
Pretty much what Zoellick (Bush's WB president) did - except he did it according to how nicely, or not, Dubya's derrière was kissed by each country.
pecosbob
(7,538 posts)sandensea
(21,635 posts)Though unlike two-timing Tony, I doubt Kim had any say in this.
Considering his progressive outlook on world development issues, Cheeto most likely just sacked him.
VMA131Marine made an interesting point just earlier: that Putin may have had a hand in it.
It would definitely fit, given the World Bank's key role as a financer of development projects that many small - but strategically placed - third world countries can't afford by themselves.
The idea being that countries that play along with Putin (and Cheeto) get their loans for public housing, dams, disease erradication, etc.
Those who don't play along, don't.
It's exactly what Bush's WB president, Bob Zoellick, used to do during his tenure.
In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Cheeto reappointed him.
pecosbob
(7,538 posts)sandensea
(21,635 posts)It was widely hoped Michael Cohen would expose not only more on Russiagate; but also Cheeto's very well-known (but never proven) dealings with the likes of Fat Tony Salerno in the '70s and '80s.
He might still - though I wouldn't be surprised if family members of his have already gotten strange phone calls at night from guys called Louie the Bat and Mickey the Rat.