ECB says Christine Lagarde will step down in February 2027

The European Central Bank says President Christine Lagarde informed its Governing Council and European Council President António Costa that she will step down on February 7, 2027. The announcement, published by the European Central Bank on October 29, starts the formal process for choosing the next head of the institution responsible for monetary policy across the euro area.

The ECB said the European Council will appoint Lagarde’s successor under the nomination process set out in Article 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The decision does not change the ECB’s current monetary policy framework, but it places attention on the succession process and the future leadership of one of the world’s most influential central banks. Tito Baron Media will follow the nomination process and any official transition announcements.

Source reporting, European Central Bank. Editorial illustration prepared for this article, not an event photograph.