In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen Kristalina Georgieva: Leading the IMF, Navigating Global Crises and Strengthening Cooperation
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Dec 17, 2025 Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF and a seasoned economist, discusses key global economic challenges. She highlights the IMF’s crucial role in maintaining stability and helping nations in crises, like her home country Bulgaria. Topics include the risks of high debt and climate change on financial stability, the transformative impact of AI on labor markets, and the necessity of global cooperation amidst geopolitical tensions. Kristalina's personal journey from Bulgaria emphasizes her values of curiosity, courage, and compassion.
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IMF's Threefold Role
- The IMF aggregates data and provides a single vantage point on the world economy using its access to 191 members.
- It lends from a $1 trillion capacity and helps countries build institutions for macro and financial stability.
Bulgaria's Stabilization Story
- Kristalina recounts Bulgaria's late-1990s hyperinflation and how the IMF helped establish a currency board to restore stability.
- She notes Bulgaria now has low debt and deficit and was set to join the Eurozone, illustrating long-term impact.
Resilience Despite Slow Growth
- The world economy is more resilient than feared but grows too slowly to meet people's aspirations.
- Stronger institutions, private-sector agility, and smaller-than-feared trade shocks explain this resilience.