{"id":45205,"date":"2026-07-03T09:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/?p=45205"},"modified":"2026-07-03T09:34:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:34:08","slug":"christine-lagarde-says-early-ecb-exit-possible-as-election-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/financialrush.com\/?p=45205","title":{"rendered":"Christine Lagarde says early ECB exit ‘possible’ as election looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), during a rates decision news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, June 11, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alex Kraus | Bloomberg | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The European Central Bank’s Christine Lagarde has declined to rule out an early end to her term as president, as she mulls a foray into French politics. <\/p>\n

Lagarde, whose term as ECB President ends in October 2027, told French newspaper Les Echos<\/a> an early departure is “possible” ahead of the country’s presidential elections that year. <\/p>\n

“I think a European voice must be heard in the French presidential debate,” Lagarde said. “If this debate were to present a perspective that diminishes France’s place within Europe, I think it would be necessary to explain why this would be a painful path for our country and our citizens.”<\/p>\n

Asked whether she would consider personal involvement in the French Presidential campaign, to support a candidate or run herself, Lagarde said: “I’m going to ask myself some questions.”<\/p>\n

Leader of the far-right National Rally party Jordan Bardella is currently the frontrunner in polls to replace President Emmanuel Macron, who entered office in 2017 and is not running for re-election.<\/p>\n

The first round of voting will take place in April, with a runoff to follow between the top two candidates if none wins 50%.<\/p>\n

Macron faced the National Rally, then called Front National, at the runoff stages in both 2017 and 2022.<\/p>\n

Bardella has pledged a realignment of France’s place in the European Union, promising to put the European Commission and the EU “back at the service of nations and no longer the other way around”.<\/p>\n

The euro sold off in February in the wake of a Financial Times report that Lagarde was considering making an early exit from the ECB. The ECB said at the time that no such decision had been made.<\/p>\n

CNBC has reached out to the ECB for comment on Lagarde’s latest remarks. <\/p>\n

Lagarde told Les Echos that she is committed to her role at the bank in the short term: “My term ends in October 2027. And I believe my mission is to maintain price stability. As we are once again in a period of turbulence, I believe the captain of the ECB ship must remain on board.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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