Portuguese economist Ricardo Reis was removed from the race for the chief economist position at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The decision came following public comments made by the academic about the negative impact of tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
Reis, who is a professor at the London School of Economics, had been considered one of the strong candidates for the position. However, his criticism of the Trump administration's trade policy reportedly raised concerns among members of the IMF's board of directors.
The IMF has not officially commented on the decision, but sources close to the process indicated that the delicate political situation related to the United States weighed on the final choice. The chief economist position is one of the most important in the institution, responsible for guiding global economic analysis.
Reis's removal from the list of candidates reflects the existing tensions between some multilateral institutions and the economic policy of the US government. The new IMF chief economist will be responsible for leading the organization's economic forecasts and analysis.
