SHOTLIST
Berlin, Germany
1. Wide of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at news conference with Moldova's Prime Minister Vlad Filat
2. Cutaway of news photographers
3. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"I'm of the opinion that we should propose a European candidate."
4. Close-up of journalist writing in notebook
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"In the present situation when we have significant problems with the Euro and the IMF is very much involved there, there are arguments to propose a European candidate and support him in the international community."
6. Cutaway of camera
7. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"I have no comment about specific candidates."
8. Wide of news conference with Merkel and Filat
Brussels, Belgium
9. Wide of panel of speakers on stage at European Business Summit seminar
10. Close-up of sign reading: (English) European Business Summit
11. Close-up of European Commissioner for Monetary and Economic Affairs Olli Rehn on stage during panel discussion
12. Mid of Rehn on stage
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Monetary and Economic Affairs:
"We worked very closely with Dominique Strauss-Kahn and he was instrumental in overcoming the sovereign debt crisis and thus protecting the economic recovery in Europe. As he has now resigned it is of course essential that the IMF board will take the needed necessary decisions and I'm sure that they can come to an appropriate and necessary decision shortly."
14. Mid of conference seminar
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Monetary and Economic Affairs:
"From the European point of view it is essential that the appointment will be merit based where competence and economic and political experience play the key role. And in this current juncture it is a merit if the person has quite solid knowledge of the European economy and decision making." ++Pan as Rehn walks away++
16. Wide of conference
STORYLINE
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday pushed for a quick decision on a successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the International Monetary Fund and underlined her hopes that a European will get the job.
Strauss-Kahn resigned as IMF chief on Wednesday, saying he wants to devote "all his energy" to fighting sexual assault charges in New York.
In Berlin during a news conference on Thursday Merkel said she was "of the opinion that we should propose a European candidate."
The Chancellor, whose country has Europe's biggest economy, declined to be drawn on the merits of any specific candidate or say whether Germany itself would put forward anyone, citing "no comment" when questioned.
Merkel was unapologetic about wanting another European IMF chief.
"In the present situation when we have significant problems with the Euro and the IMF is very much involved there, there are arguments to propose a European candidate and support him in the international community," Merkel told reporters.
Last year, Merkel was a key figure in insisting that the IMF get involved in efforts to tackle the debt crisis in Greece and beyond.
Merkel's call for a European candidate for the IMF was backed on Thursday by the European Commission, which insisted that next leader come from the 27-nation European Union.
This was reiterated by Olli Rehn, the European Commissioner for Monetary and Economic Affairs, on Thursday, who said it would be "a merit if the person has quite solid knowledge of the European economy and decision making."
Rehn was speaking from the European Business Summit in Brussels.
Developing nations see Europe's stranglehold on the position as increasingly out of touch with the world economy.
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