16/10/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 17 October, the Heads of State or Government of the euro area will formally approve the appointment of Christine Lagarde of France as the Head of the European Central Bank (ECB) (see EUROPE 12329/5). The former Director of the International Monetary Fund will succeed Italian Mario Draghi as of 1st November for an eight-year non-renewable term. Her immediate challenge will be to reform the unity of the Governing Council after the latest controversial decisions, further easing the ECB's accommodating monetary policy, were challenged internally by the German, Dutch and French central bankers and led to Sabine Lautenschläger's resignation from the Executive Board of the Monetary Institute (see EUROPE 12326/1). (MB)