Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde attends a press conference on the Eurozone's monetary policy, at the central bank's headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on December 18, 2025.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images/File
Email Link Copied! Reuters — 

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde announced her resignation on Thursday, ending months of speculation about her future at a complex juncture for Europe and the ECB.

Lagarde will step down on February 7, giving current European Union leaders time to pick a successor well before a French presidential election that polls show far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is favorite to win.