Christine Lagarde is expected to leave the European Central Bank before her eight-year term as president expires. Photograph: Thomas Kienzle / AFP via Getty ImagesChristine Lagarde is expected to leave the European Central Bank (ECB) before her eight-year term as president expires in October 2027, according to a person familiar with her thinking. “President Lagarde is totally focused on her mission and has not taken any decision regarding the end of her term,” the ECB said. Lagarde’s appointment as ECB president came after Macron and then German chancellor Angela Merkel struck a surprise deal in 2019. She recalled how she told Macron after agreeing to the role of ECB president: “I’ll be in Frankfurt for five years.

Source: The Irish Times February 18, 2026 16:40 UTC