ECB chief Lagarde raises prospect of leaving post a few months early

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has raised the possibility of leaving her post early, telling Wednesday’s edition of French newspaper La Croix she could not rule out stepping down a few months before her term expires.

“I do not exclude the possibility of stepping down a few months before the end of my term, but I have not announced anything concrete, and one thing is certain: In 2027 I will still be here,” Lagarde said, reported German news agency dpa.

“So if I do step down early, it will only be a matter of a few months. It will not turn the world upside down,” said the Frenchwoman, whose eight-year term runs until October 2027.

Lagarde ruled out standing in France’s presidential election in April 2027. “That would not be a good idea at all,” she said when asked. It was not a comparable job, she said. “On the one hand, it requires vitality, energy and strength. On the other hand, such a commitment inevitably involves certain sacrifices. And I am 70 years old.”

Asked whether she wanted to take part in debates ahead of the 2027 French presidential election, Lagarde said vaguely: “My task now is to serve the European public interest.”

Speculation about Lagarde’s future has been circulating for months. She has been linked to the World Economic Forum in Davos, and there have been reports that she wants to step down before the French presidential election in April and May. The backdrop is concern that right-wing populists could win the election, which could complicate the appointment of a new ECB chief.

Lagarde had previously reaffirmed that she would not leave before 2027. “When clouds appear on the horizon, the captain stays on the ship. And there are clouds on the horizon,” she said in July. Before that, she had not ruled out an early departure from her post, citing the French presidential election.