The Financial Times reports the “exclusive” news that Christine Lagarde is planning to resign one year before October 2027, when her mandate expires. This is intended to allow Macron and Merz to decide about her successor, who will stay for eight years. French Presidential elections are scheduled for April 2027 and Macron cannot run for a third term. As for Merz, he might indeed leave his job even earlier—this, the FT does not say.
“According to the person with knowledge of her thinking, Lagarde wants to enable outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to find a new head for one of the EU’s most important institutions. It is not clear when Lagarde’s departure will take place,” the FT wrote.
Asked by the FT, an ECB spokesperson denied it—but not really: “President Lagarde is totally focused on her mission and has not taken any decision regarding the end of her term,” the ECB said. If Lagarde intended to stay until the end of her mandate, “any decision” would not be an issue.
