European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has said it would be a bad idea for her to take part in France’s 2027 presidential race.
Lagarde said that if she were to leave the ECB before 2027, it would only be for a few months, Reuters reports.
The official explained her decision by saying the job requires a great deal of energy and stamina, and she pointed to the fact that she is 70. The statement put an end to rumours that she might step down early from the ECB in order to run for president of France.
Meanwhile, staffing changes have already begun at the ECB’s top level, after ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel resigned last week to take up a senior role at the International Monetary Fund.
- France’s current president is Emmanuel Macron, who first won election in 2017, defeating Marine Le Pen.
- In 2022, he was re-elected for a second term, again beating Le Pen in the run-off.
- Under France’s Constitution, a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. Macron is therefore not eligible to run for a third consecutive term in 2027. However, the law does not bar him from seeking the presidency again after a break — including in the 2032 election.
- Potential candidates for the 2027 election include far-right leader Marine Le Pen, former prime minister Édouard Philippe, “Unbowed France” leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and former prime minister Gabriel Attal.