Christine Lagarde appointed President of the European Central Bank
Christine Lagarde appointed President of the European Central Bank

Today, the European Council appointed Christine Lagarde to be the President of the European Central Bank for a non-renewable term of 8 years.

Christine Lagarde will replace the outgoing President, Mario Draghi, as of November 1, 2019. “It is an honour to succeed Mario Draghi. I am looking forward to working with the ECB’s talented staff to keep euro area prices stable and banks safe,” Lagarde said on Twitter.

Born on January 1, 1956, in Paris, Lagarde holds a law degree from the Paris Nanterre University and a master’s degree from the Political Science Institute in Aix en Provence, southern France.

In 2011, Lagarde was elected to become the first-ever female head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On 2 July 2019, the European Council considered Christine Lagarde to be the appropriate candidate for President of the European Central Bank. The Council (Economic and Financial Affairs) then issued a formal recommendation on 9 July 2019. The European Parliament and the European Central Bank delivered their opinions to the European Council, respectively on 17 September 2019 and on 25 July 2019.