ABN AMRO Chief Economist Nick Kounis discusses reports that ECB President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends in 2027, potentially giving France and Germany greater influence over her successor. He highlights a broader leadership reshuffle at the ECB and Banque de France, and reviews potential candidates’ perceived policy stances and political considerations.

Lagarde exit speculation and succession risks

"The Financial Times reported this morning that ECB President Christine Lagarde will leave her post before her term expires in October 2027. The reported reason is that she wants to exit before the French presidential election in April of next year, which would allow French President Macron - together with German Chancellor Merz - to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to selecting a new ECB President. The ECB did not fully deny the story, but responded by saying that Lagarde had ‘not taken any decision’."

"An early departure for the ECB President would add to the changing of the guard at the central bank over the coming quarters. Croatia’s Governor, Boris Vujcic, is set to become the next ECB Vice President, replacing Luis de Guindos whose term ends on 31 May. ECB chief economist Philip Lane’s term ends in May of next year, while Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel’s term finishes at the end of next year."

"This means that four of the six Executive Board members are moving on by the end of next year. Meanwhile, we have also seen Francois Villeroy, Governor of the Banque de France, stepping down early, by the end of May, while his term was set to end in October 2027."

"A Bloomberg poll of economists suggested that de Cos and Knot are the front runners. Looking at the candidates that are currently on the radar, it seems that there might be some reservations about where their views sit (or sat in the past) in terms of the spectrum of the Governing Council. For instance, de Cos might be seen by some member states as being too dovish, while Nagel and Schnabel might be seen by others as being too hawkish."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)