Economics
Feb 26, 2026
Mohamed A. El-Erian
The next Federal Reserve chair will inherit an institution that, by any historical measure, is deeply fractured internally and lacks credibility externally. By strengthening the Fed’s analytical framework and establishing a "balance-sheet theory," Kevin Warsh can oversee the institution's return to excellence.
PHILADELPHIA – Kevin Warsh’s nomination to succeed Jerome Powell as US Federal Reserve chair has triggered a predictable frenzy of speculation centered on a single, narrow question: How hard will he push for interest-rate cuts? While such conjecture may be entertaining, it misses the forest for the trees. To focus solely on rate cuts is to misunderstand the Fed’s situation and the scale of the challenge awaiting its next leader.
