worldbankpresident.org is the site you need to track the media coverage, insider gossip, official reactions and civil society activity on the World Bank president. If you are a journalist, activist, official, student or anyone wanting to follow the details of this story in real time, you’ve come to the right place.

This blog was originally set up the day in January 2005 that former World Bank president James Wolfensohn announced he would be retiring. We wanted to shine a light on the medieval process for choosing the head of this very powerful institution - the fact that the position is in the gift of the US government.

Sadly despite our efforts to expose the behind the scenes manouevres and dealings, George W. Bush did get to tap a candidate on the shoulder and put him at the top of the Bank.

We tracked and informed the global reaction to the Wolfowitz appointment, almost entirely of alarm, but decided in April 2005 to put the site on ice and let the tracking of Wolfowitz in office take place elsewhere.

The predictions on this site about the problems Wolfowitz would cause proved true and in April 2007 bubbled up very dramatically in the world’s media. The time had come to start blogging again.

With new members in our blogging team and masses of energy, we have fed journalists tips for stories, inspired activists to ramp up their challenges, and emboldened more officials to speak out.

Don’t hesitate to get involved or get in touch.