File photo: Christine Lagarde
ECB President Christine Lagarde will resign in Feb, nine months before her term ends, saying she wants freedom to speak beyond monetary policy and engage in politics because she believes she cannot remain neutral. Her departure lets European leaders choose a successor before France’s presidential election. European Council president Antonio Costa said the appointment process would begin immediately. Dutch central bank ex-chief Klaas Knot and Bank for International Settlements head Pablo Hernandez de Cos are seen as frontrunners.