Christine Lagarde is pictured during the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Bangkok on Oct. 14, 2026.Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Lagarde’s early exit Le Pen-proofs ECB as France veers toward a debt reckoning – POLITICO

29 Oct 2026, 10:17 by Johanna Treeck · POLITICO

Christine Lagarde said she will step down as president of the European Central Bank on Feb. 7, creating a vacancy at the top of one of Europe’s most powerful institutions and fueling further speculation about a possible return to French politics.

“I want to have the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, and the freedom to engage on matters that are not monetary policy matters,” Lagarde said at her regular press conference after the ECB left its key interest rates unchanged on Thursday.

She noted that her position at the ECB obliged her to stay neutral on “principles close to my heart.”