Lagarde sets February 2027 departure from ECB
Her term was due to end in late October 2027. The EU has opened the process to choose the next central bank president.
Christine Lagarde’s presidency of the European Central Bank will end on February 7, 2027, the institution said on October 29. She is leaving almost nine months early, with her term originally scheduled to finish in late October 2027.
The EU opened the selection process on October 29. Responsibility for naming the next president rests with the European Council. Lagarde notified the ECB’s Governing Council and European Council President António Costa of her decision. In a social media post, Costa said the appointment process was intended to ensure an orderly transition.
An earlier Financial Times report in February said Lagarde intended to depart before the April 2027 French presidential election. The ECB denied that report at the time. The newspaper cited a source who said she wanted to help French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agree on a successor.
Lagarde assumed the ECB presidency in November 2019. Her previous roles included French finance minister and head of the International Monetary Fund, which she began leading in 2011.
