Christine Lagarde’s eight-year ECB term runs through October 2027, and her direct public statements plus continued execution of core duties have anchored trader expectations that she will remain in post through the end of 2026. In the July 2026 Governing Council press conference she explicitly committed to staying at least until year-end, participating in scheduled rate decisions and rejecting near-term exit rumors linked to French political timelines. Ongoing monetary-policy work, including June and July 2026 meetings and speeches on inflation and euro-area stability, has reinforced this continuity. Earlier 2026 speculation about a possible early departure never translated into formal steps or announcements, leaving the implied probability that she departs before December 31, 2026, at only about 24 percent. No scheduled institutional events or confirmation processes currently point to a leadership change inside the current calendar year.