ECB's Lagarde again hints at completing term

Lagarde Signals Commitment to Full ECB Term Amid Key Projects

FRANKFURT, Feb 26 (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde hinted again at serving out her term to complete projects including the digital euro, in a fresh pushback on Thursday against speculation about an early exit.

Lagarde repeated her "baseline" expectation that she would stay until the end of her term in October 2027, after the Financial Times wrote last week she was planning an early exit to give outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron a say in appointing her successor before an election next year.

Lagarde's Commitment to ECB Leadership

"The digital euro is one of the elements of the mission that I regard as critically important," she told the European Parliament.

"My baseline is that it will take until the end of my term to deliver and to consolidate the mission: price stability and financial stability, a solid euro in digital form, both online, offline, wholesale, retail, all of it."

In a private message to colleagues seen by Reuters, she had also said she remained focused on her job and would tell them first if she was about to step down.

Implications of Potential Early Resignation

A potential early resignation by Lagarde was seen as making it easier for like-minded leaders such as Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to pick a successor.

But, coming after the French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau unexpectedly quit earlier this month, it would invite accusations that unelected central bankers were interfering with the democratic process.

The ECB has said that the digital euro, essentially an electronic version of cash that it hopes can help replace U.S.-denominated means of payment such as credit cards, would not be ready before 2029.

Digital Euro: A Key Initiative

(Reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Ros Russell and Alex Richardson)