Christine Lagarde announced on Thursday that she will step down as European Central Bank president on 7 February 2027, nearly nine months before her mandate is due to end.
In an exclusive interview with Euronews in July, she said she was not seeking political office, as speculation mounted over her possible role in France’s 2027 presidential election.
“I’m not a candidate for anything, but I’m very keen that Europe is protected, that Europe is the framework within which member states operate, including France,” she said.
Lagarde also said she hoped reason would prevail ahead of the vote scheduled for April 2027, stressing France’s importance within the European Union.
Before leading the ECB, and the IMF before that, Lagarde served as French finance minister under former president Nicolas Sarkozy, becoming the first woman to hold the post in a G7 country and guiding France through the 2008 financial crisis.