The Swiss government has nominated Philipp Hildebrand, a former head of the country’s central bank, to lead the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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سويسرا ترشّح مصرفيًا بارزا سابقًا لقيادة منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية
“His experience in the highest levels of the private and public sectors, both in Switzerland and internationally, make him the ideal candidate for this prestigious position,” Economics Minister Guy Parmelin told a news conference on Wednesday.
“This candidacy offers a great opportunity for Switzerland to reach the highest position in a renowned international organisation,” he added.
The Paris-based OECDExternal link is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 37 member countries. Its aim is to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
Switzerland was one of the founding members of the organisation when it was created in 1961.
Hildebrand said the many talented competitors notably from European Union member countries for the top position were a challenge.
“But I’m convinced that it is worthwhile for Switzerland, acting united and with confidence,to try to win the top post,” he said.
If the Swiss candidacy is successful, the 57-year-old would succeed Angel Guría of Spain as OECD secretary-general at the end of May 2021. To date there are eight candidates in the running in a nomination process that will be finalised next February.
Hildebrand was chairman of the Swiss National Bank between 2010 and 2012, before he stepped down under pressure, notably from the political right over a private currency deal.
He later joined BlackRock, a leading asset management company, and has held the position of vice-president there since 2012.
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Central bank scandal stokes political fires
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At the heart of the affair is the leaking of confidential bank data detailing foreign currency exchange transactions by Philipp Hildebrand’s family in breach of Swiss banking secrecy laws. Zurich police last week opened criminal investigations into two Swiss People’s Party cantonal parliamentarians allegedly involved in the transmission of the data to third parties. And…
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The SNB has been no stranger to political criticism in its efforts to keep the franc from appreciating too quickly against other currencies. Its policy of amassing foreign currency reserves and introducing negative interest rates has courted some controversy, not least in parliament. The abandonment of the CHF1.20 peg to the euro in January 2015…
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It is the latest step in an ongoing political and legal procedure to shed light on a controversial foreign currency transaction made by Hildebrand’s wife in 2011 and a suspected breach of banking secrecy rules by the strongman of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, Christoph Blocher. The control committees of both parliamentary chambers on Monday…
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But they demanded clarifications to unanswered questions, a day after Hildebrand dismissed suggestions he should resign, saying his only mistake was to let his American wife conduct a particularly sensitive transaction from their joint account. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) said Hildebrand had to “at least try to provide evidence [that he’s] beyond all suspicion…
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