09/02/2026 (Agence Europe) – The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, has hailed the European achievements of French banker François Villeroy de Galhau, who on Monday 9 February announced his “personal decision” to step down as Governor of Banque de France at the beginning of June. “The Governing Council [of the ECB, ed.] has benefited enormously from the realism combined with strong European convictions and vision that he always brings to the table. His friendly, wide-ranging, team-oriented, good-humoured and consistently well-articulated contributions greatly enriched our discussions”, said Ms Lagarde in a press release on Monday. “As Governor of the Banque de France since 2015, his actions have always been guided by rigour, independence and concern for the greater good”, said Roland Lescure, the French Minister for the Economy. (BD)