By Basant El-Faramawy
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will step down on February 7, nine months before her eight-year term ends, the ECB announced Thursday.
The resignation opens the way for European Union leaders to choose a successor for the ECB presidency and other top officials whose terms expire next year. Speculation had mounted that Lagarde would leave early to allow pro-EU French President Emmanuel Macron to influence the selection before a possible victory by right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen. Lagarde, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, was appointed in 2011 to succeed Mario Draghi.
