Christine Lagarde said her base case is to see out her term as European Central Bank president, following a report this week that she’ll step down early. While the ECB insisted at the time that Lagarde is “totally focused on her mission,” in saying that she “has not taken any decision regarding the end of her term,” it suggested she’s indeed considering cutting short her tenure. Lagarde has been linked with an early departure from the ECB before, but sought last June to quash talk that she’s planning to head the World Economic Forum. Lagarde told the WSJ that the WEF is “one of the many options” she’s considering once she leaves the ECB. Asked about that, Lagarde told the WSJ: “I think the ECB is a very respected and credible institution, and I hope that I’ve participated in that.” - Bloomberg

Source: The Irish Times February 20, 2026 17:31 UTC