France could support former Dutch central bank chief Klaas Knot to succeed Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank as part of a broader deal that could see a French candidate appointed as the ECB's chief economist, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Lagarde's current term runs until October 2027, although speculation about a possible early departure has persisted for much of this year. The succession process is therefore beginning to attract attention across the eurozone.
