Die Frau, vor der Rechte und Linke zittern: Christine Lagarde hält Frankreich und das WEF in Atem

Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), has left her colleagues and opponents uncertain. One lesson she learned during her seven years at the helm of the ECB is that one can say much with few words. NZZ.ch requires JavaScript for crucial functions, but its absence at the moment hinders this. Her resignation announcement this week exemplified strict neutrality as an ECB President, but she now aims to champion truth, which is increasingly threatened by misinformation.

"I cannot remain neutral anymore, and I would not be comfortable with that," Lagarde declared. This statement clarified that she has a major agenda, potentially a very major one. Since then, speculation has abounded. Could Lagarde be eyeing a run for the French presidency? Under Chirac and Sarkozy, she held top positions in French governments from 2005 to 2011, serving as Finance Minister to guide France through the financial crisis.

Is she now determined to rescue her homeland from the claws of far-right and far-left extremists? Both camps have reacted nervously to Lagarde's announcement. A candidacy might be about "vitality, energy, and strength," she said in a September interview. However, at seventy, she is old enough to have already made up her mind. It is clear, though, that Lagarde will play an active role in the election campaign, possibly taking on a ministerial post if a moderate candidate emerges.

This inevitably raises the question of whether she will accept the job for which she is ideally suited: the presidency of the World Economic Forum (WEF). She has been a favorite candidate of its founder, Klaus Schwab, for years, but his unexpected departure in spring 2025 has cast doubt on the succession. The board of the foundation wanted to launch a broad search for a candidate, but the Schwab faithful halted it, holding onto Lagarde as their first choice.

She did not hesitate to respond: "I am ready to serve," she declared in August before the group. What are these words worth today, and is Lagarde still the right woman for the job? Even as WEF President, she would be bound by neutrality, enabling her to fulfill her role as host and mediator. One thing is clear: by laying out her concrete plans, she becomes an even greater force in European politics.

Wherever a top job is to be filled in the coming months, Lagarde will be among the favorites. It seems likely that Christine Lagarde will become the new CEO of the World Economic Forum upon her departure from the European Central Bank - unless she returns to French politics. The Frenchwoman has presided over international economic policy for two decades. A retrospective in images.