25 April 2007 - Euro-MPs in Strasbourg have supported a Green proposal calling on the EU Presidency to push for the withdrawal of Paul Wolfowitz as President of the World Bank in the light of the current cronyism scandal.

Speaking after the vote, Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas said:

"By digging in his heels and refusing to resign as President of the World Bank, Wolfowitz is dragging the whole organisation into disrepute and further undermining the credibility of its anti-corruption policy. If he won’t jump himself, he must be pushed.

"The European Parliament has today added to the mounting pressure to end Wolfowitz’s chequered tenure at the helm of the World Bank by calling on the EU Presidency to press the US government for Wolfowitz’s withdrawal. We hope the issue will not be brushed under the table at the forthcoming EU-US summit."

The move to sack Wolfowitz was contained in a resolution on EU-US relations ahead of the forthcoming summit, which will take place next Monday (April 30th).

ENDS