HELSINKI, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Finnish government sources on Saturday expressed confidence about the prospect of Olli Rehn, the governor of the Bank of Finland, to become the next CEO of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
National broadcaster Yle reported that Finland believes Rehn could be the European candidate for the position.
The IMF position became available following the election of Christine Laragde as the Director of the European Central Bank. All chief executives of the IMF so far have been Europeans.
Mika Lintila, the Finnish Finance Minister, told Yle that an extraordinary conference call of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), a configuration within the Council of the European Union, has been reserved. Lintila is currently the chairman of ECOFIN.
European media have published speculations that other EU area hopefuls could be the Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, his Portuguese counterpart Maria Centeno or the Spanish economic affairs minister Nadia Calvino.
Ecofin will give its recommendation, but the final choice is up to EU governments. The actual appointment will take place in the IMF executive board.
Besides being in charge of the Finnish central bank, Rehn is a former EU commissioner for economic affairs.
Lintila told Yle that Rehn is "recalled in several countries as tough but fair".
