Pascal Lamy's first day

By Alex Singleton | 1 September 2005

In the Financial Times, Philippe Legrain writes that from today...

...the shaky prospects for freer world trade will rest on the shoulders of a French socialist. With the World Trade Organisation's Doha round deadlocked and little time left to reach agreement, the new man in charge of the WTO, Pascal Lamy [pictured], faces a daunting challenge. Unless the former European Union trade commissioner can help break the deadlock and hammer out the outlines of a deal before trade ministers meet in Hong Kong in December, hopes for a successful outcome to the Doha round will fade. That would be a disaster for the world economy and for export-reliant developing countries in particular.

It's too early to say how effective Lamy will be. But I am reminded of the phrase: "only Nixon could go to China". Given the importance of winning over the hearts and minds of the French, perhaps what free trade needs now is the face of French socialist.