--- title: "Christine Lagarde Announces Early Resignation as ECB Chief: Departure Set for February 2027" description: "ECB President Christine Lagarde announced her early resignation on October 29: she will step down on February 7, 2027. European Council President Costa thanked her and announced the start of the search for a successor." date: 2026-10-29T12:27:34.739Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/christine-lagarde-announces-early-resignation-ecb-chief tags: [ecb, christine-lagarde, european-central-bank, european-council, davos-forum] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Christine Lagarde Announces Early Resignation as ECB Chief: Departure Set for February 2027 ![ECB President Christine Lagarde speaks at a press conference announcing her early resignation](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/29/lagard-obyavila-o-dosrochnoy-otstavke-s-posta-glavy-ecb/lagard-obyavila-o-dosrochnoy-otstavke-s-posta-glavy-ecb-1.webp) ## Key Points - Christine Lagarde announced on October 29, 2026, her early resignation as ECB chief — she will step down on February 7, 2027, ahead of the planned end of October 2027. - European Council President António Costa thanked Lagarde for her work since November 2019 and announced that the search for a successor will begin on October 29. - Media outlets (Bloomberg, NZZ) report that Lagarde is ready to head the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2027. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde announced her intention to step down early on October 29, 2026. By her own decision, she will conclude her tenure as ECB President on February 7, 2027 — significantly earlier than originally scheduled. Lagarde informed the ECB Governing Council and European Council President António Costa of her decision. ### Early Resignation: Details of the Decision The decision to step down early means that Lagarde's mandate, which was originally planned to end only in late October 2027, will be terminated a few months ahead of schedule. Thus, she will spend about another fifteen months at the head of the European regulator after announcing her resignation. Lagarde has held this post since November 2019, and prior to that led the International Monetary Fund for over a decade. ### Brussels' Reaction European Council President António Costa thanked Lagarde for her work at the helm of the ECB. According to him, during her tenure, the head of the European central bank demonstrated high responsibility and dedication to her work. Costa emphasized that her leadership brought significant benefits to Europe during a period of uncertainty, and her commitment to the European project deserves recognition. ### Search for a Successor to Begin Immediately The new head of the European Central Bank will be elected by the European Council after considering nominated candidates. To ensure a smooth handover of power, the process of finding Lagarde's successor, according to Costa, will begin on October 29 — the very day the resignation was announced. This means that the selection and discussion of candidates in Brussels will unfold on a tight schedule. ### Possible Next Step: Davos Against the backdrop of the resignation announcement, media outlets are reporting on Lagarde's possible plans after leaving the ECB. According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources, she is generally ready to take over as Chairperson of the World Economic Forum (WEF), while wanting to ensure that tensions between the forum and its founder and former chairman Klaus Schwab are fully resolved. In the WEF itself, according to the same reports, they would also like to see Lagarde head the organization. Schwab stepped down as chairman in April 2025 amid an investigation into alleged financial misconduct, after which he was fully exonerated, though tensions remained. The NZZ newspaper, in turn, reported that Lagarde could head the forum in Davos in 2027. ### Context: ECB Decisions in Recent Months Lagarde's resignation comes against the backdrop of a series of high-profile decisions and statements by the European regulator. Recently, media reported that the ECB refused to guarantee the so-called "reparation loan" to Ukraine backed by Russian assets, and that the central bank took a series of monetary policy steps amid inflation processes in the eurozone. These decisions form the context in which Lagarde is completing her term and handing over to a successor. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Глава Европейского центробанка Лагард собирается в отставку](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/glava-evropeyskogo-tsentrobanku-lagard-zbiraetsya-1793275789.html) - Primary source: announcement of early resignation on October 29, departure on February 7, 2027, informing the Governing Council and Costa, Costa's gratitude, start of successor search on October 29. - [Bloomberg: глава ЕЦБ Лагард готова возглавить Всемирный экономический форум](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72052770/) - Context: Lagarde's readiness to take the position of WEF chairman according to Bloomberg; Schwab's resignation in April 2025. - [Bloomberg: Кристин Лагард готова возглавить Всемирный экономический форум](https://charter97.org/ru/news/2026/8/20/695376/) - Duplicates Bloomberg's report on Lagarde's readiness to head the WEF and the discussion of the issue at the board of trustees. - [NZZ узнала, когда глава ЕЦБ возглавит форум в Давосе](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6a8b4da89a7947c35724ab22) - Context: according to NZZ, Lagarde could head the forum in Davos in 2027. ## FAQ ### When exactly will Christine Lagarde step down as ECB President? According to her announcement on October 29, 2026, she will conclude her work as ECB President on February 7, 2027 — ahead of schedule, whereas her mandate was planned to end in late October 2027. ### Who will elect the new head of the European Central Bank? The new head of the ECB will be elected by the European Council after reviewing nominated candidates. The search process for a successor, according to European Council President António Costa, will begin on October 29, 2026. ### What is known about Lagarde's plans after leaving the ECB? According to Bloomberg and NZZ reports, she is generally ready to head the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2027, while wanting to ensure that tensions with former chairman Klaus Schwab are resolved. This is media information, not an officially confirmed decision.