Departure of Lagarde, seen as candidate to take over World Economic Forum, comes as eurozone struggles with weak growth and inflation

Christine Lagarde, the eurozone’s top central banker, is stepping down nine months early, ending months of speculation about her future.

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday morning that Lagarde would step down as its president on 7 February 2027. Her term was scheduled to run until the end of October next year.