The ECB declined to comment and referred to Lagarde’s earlier statement.

Earlier Thursday, Lagarde, who is 70, ended months of speculation about her future role, saying that she will step down on Feb. 7 ahead of her term officially ending in October next year.

The ECB did not reveal what Lagarde’s immediate plans are, however she has previously hinted she may want to weigh in on France’s 2027 presidential race.

An official familiar with Lagarde's thinking, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said she made her move almost a full year before the end of her term, to have “greater freedom to express her views and to engage in non-monetary matters, because she cannot remain neutral when she sees the developments taking place in her own country and in the world.”