Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, announced in a video that she will resign from her position on February 7. The news quickly drew attention to the two bandages on her face that were visible in the video.
Surgery Details
Lagarde stated in a follow-up post that the bandages are the result of a "minor surgery" earlier this week and urged people to heed medical advice and regularly check their skin.
In an internal video message to all staff at the European Central Bank, she explained with a more humorous tone: "I know I look funny. This is not due to kickboxing in Thailand. It was just a small skin cancer that needed to be removed." Lagarde made this statement after attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund in Bangkok.
Lagarde's Future and the European Central Bank
The European Central Bank did not respond to requests for comment on the matter and referred to Lagarde's previous statement. Lagarde, who is 70 years old, ended months of speculation about her future role with this announcement. She also hinted that she might want to run in the 2027 French presidential election.
An official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that Lagarde made the decision to resign from her position nearly a year before the end of her term to "have more freedom to express her views and engage in non-financial issues, as she cannot remain neutral in the face of developments in her country and the world."
