Christine Lagarde intends to complete her term at ECB, she tells WSJ
The chief reassures policymakers she is still focusing on leading Europe’s most important financial institution
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[FRANKFURT] Christine Lagarde expects that completing her mission as president of the European Central Bank (ECB) will take until the end of her term, she told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an interview on Thursday (Feb 19), amid reports of an early resignation.
She said: “When I look back at all these years, I think that we have accomplished a lot, that I have accomplished a lot.
“We need to consolidate and make sure that this is really solid and reliable. So my baseline is that it will take until the end of my term.”
Lagarde’s comments come after the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that the ECB president plans to leave her job early, ahead of next year’s French presidential election. This is to give outgoing French leader Emmanuel Macron a say in picking her successor.
She sent a private message to fellow policymakers later on Wednesday.
She reassured them that she was still concentrating on her role of leading Europe’s most important financial institution, and that they would hear it from her, rather than the press, if she wanted to step down, said sources.
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Lagarde told WSJ that she views her mission as price and financial stability, as well as “protecting the euro, making sure that it is solid, strong and fit for the future of Europe”.
She noted that the World Economic Forum is “one of the many options” she is considering once she leaves the central bank. REUTERS
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