Christine Lagarde will leave the presidency of the European Central Bank next February. The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, was the first to announce it in a tweet. “I have been informed” by Christine Lagarde “of her intention to resign from her role on February 7, 2027. I respectfully acknowledge her decision,” he wrote.
"I leave this institution with a sense of good work done and an ECB ready for the future", said the resigning president in a short video released on social media, defining the institute as a "rock". For Lagarde "it has been a great honor to serve this institution" and she thanked "everyone who has supported me on this journey over the past seven years".
"The Governing Council warmly thanked President Lagarde, giving her a long standing ovation," read the ECB statement following the announcement of her resignation. "The successor, the note recalls, "will be appointed by the European Council, following the designation procedure provided for in Article 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union".
According to an analysis by Bloomberg, Lagarde is leaving the leadership of the ECB early to have "greater freedom" to express herself outside the sphere of monetary policy. And in the background there would be the presidential elections in France scheduled for next April: faced with the developments in her country, Lagarde would have reported that she could not remain neutral.
Bloomberg cites sources familiar with what Lagarde said today to the ECB Governing Council. Lagarde would then underline that the date for her farewell to the ECB gives the European authorities ample time to select her successor.
"As regards Christine Lagarde's succession at the ECB, the race is on; At the moment we have no further comments to make, but we hope that her successor will be an equally solid figure, and capable of achieving significant results, just as Lagarde did during her mandate", said the European Commission's chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho in the daily press briefing.
Lagarde: 'I have plasters on my face due to a small dermatological operation'
Two plasters on the face, in the short farewell video posted on social media, sparked comments from users on the state of health of President Lagarde, who subsequently specified that "to avoid social media chatter, the plasters are due to a small 'dermatological' surgical operation this week". Lagarde therefore recommended "following doctors' prescriptions and checking your skin regularly".
Thank you messages
"Throughout his mandate, he led the European Central Bank with a strong sense of duty and responsibility. Europe has benefited greatly from his leadership in times of uncertainty and his unwavering commitment to the European project. Despite a global pandemic, a war in Europe, energy crises and inflationary shocks, he has ensured firm and determined leadership, helping to safeguard the stability and resilience of the euro area", wrote the President of the European Council Costa in the tweet announcing his resignation.
“Christine! Thank you for everything you have done for Europe and for the euro. From the pandemic to Russia's war of aggression, your steady hand has helped keep our economy stable and resilient. You have promoted greater financial integration within the Union. And on the world stage, you embody what every currency needs: trust and authority. This is how you strengthened Europe's economic sovereignty and consolidated the international role of the euro, an objective that was very close to your heart. The world needs more leaders like you. And I hope that many other women will follow in your footsteps." The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote this on her social networks.
"I would like to thank Christine Lagarde for her mandate at the helm of the European Central Bank. On behalf of the Eurogroup, I express my sincere gratitude to Christine Lagarde for her outstanding contribution to the stability of the euro area and for the leadership she has demonstrated in this difficult economic period", says Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis.
"Christine Lagarde led the European Central Bank very competently in difficult times. The stability of the euro and the independence of the Central Bank were in good hands with her. On behalf of the Federal Government, I thank Christine Lagarde for this," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote in a note.
"I would like to express my profound gratitude to Christine Lagarde for her European commitment and for the determined action she has led at the helm of the European Central Bank, at the service of the stability of the euro area and the prosperity of our Union, in a period marked by numerous crises", writes the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in a message published on
