EU leaders aim to appoint new ECB chief in December, official says
TLT•EU leaders aim to appoint a successor to ECB President Christine Lagarde at their December 17-18 summit. Euro zone governments are due to submit candidates by November 6, and an appointment could move to January if formal steps take longer.
1. December appointment targeted
EU leaders aim to agree on a successor to Christine Lagarde at their December 17-18 summit, a senior euro zone official said. Lagarde plans to step down on February 7, 2027, before her mandate formally ends.
2. Candidates and other seats
Euro zone governments are due to submit candidates by November 6, with finance ministers to review the process on November 9. The Netherlands has said it will propose former central bank governor Klaas Knot, while Spain is likely to put forward Pablo Hernandez de Cos. A political agreement could also cover replacements for ECB Executive Board members Isabel Schnabel and Philip Lane.
3. January fallback
The official said a formal recommendation could come this month if EU leaders quickly agree on a candidate. If the required steps take longer, leaders could formalise an appointment in January.
