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Former Central Bank Governor Philip Lane is now the European Central Bank's chief economist

ECB ready to act on widening bond spreads - Lane

The European Central Bank is ready to narrow the bond spreads of euro zone members if that hampers the efficiency of its policy, ECB chief economist Philip Lane said today.

Business • 13 Mar 20

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said the Covid-19 outbreak will have a significant impact on economic activity

Lagarde calls for ambitious fiscal response to virus

The European Central Bank has today approved fresh stimulus measures to help the euro zone economy cope with the growing cost of the coronavirus epidemic.

Business • 12 Mar 20

Lagarde's first big test: Five questions for the ECB

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde faces her first major test on Thursday, as a panicked market awaits her plan to tackle the fallout from a coronavirus outbreak that risks tipping the euro zone into recession.

Business • 09 Mar 20

Sources say the ECB's Governing Council held a telephone conference call last night to assess the impact of the coronavirus outbreak

IMF to make $50 billion in emergency funding available

The International Monetary Fund has announced that it's to make $50bn in emergency financing available for low income and emerging market countries to counter the impact of the corona virus outbreak.

Coronavirus • 04 Mar 20

ECB chief Christine Lagarde will herself will kick off the town-hall events - dubbed the 'ECB Listens'

'We want to listen' - Lagarde kicks off ECB roadshow

The European Central Bank said today it was launching a roadshow to collect feedback from citizens across the euro zone.

Business • 24 Feb 20

Mario Draghi has again defended his record after a German award fanned the flames of criticism of his easy-money policy

Draghi defends ECB record on critics' home turf

Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi today received Germany's highest honour, defending his record after the award again fanned the flames of criticism of his easy-money policy.

Business • 31 Jan 20

ECB chief Christine Lagarde are among the headline acts on the last day of Davos

ECB's Lagarde says uptick in inflation 'really minor'

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has dismissed a recent uptick in euro zone inflation as "really minor".

Business • 24 Jan 20

New ECB chief Christine Lagarde will launch a review of the bank's main policies today

ECB launches review, keeps policy on hold

The European Central Bank launched a broad review of its policy today that is likely to see new President Christine Lagarde redefine the ECB's main goal and how to achieve it.

Business • 23 Jan 20

New European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde

Ready, steady, review - 5 questions for the ECB

The European Central Bank's first meeting of the year is set to bring the formal launch of a strategy review, most likely including a rethink of an inflation goal the bank has failed to meet since 2013.

Business • 20 Jan 20

Christine Lagarde vowed at her first press conference as ECB chief that she would keep to her 'own style' and says her ambition is to be a 'wise owl'

ECB to launch year-long strategy review in January

New European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde today said the bank would next month launch a major "strategic review" of the bank's tools and goals, its first since 2003.

Business • 12 Dec 19

New European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde will hold her first policy meeting on Thursday,

Five questions for the new ECB chief

New European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde holds her first policy meeting on Thursday, where investors will scrutinise her every word for a sense of the direction she will take the bank in.

Business • 10 Dec 19

Minister for Finance to meet Christine Lagarde at ECB

The Minister for Finance will travel to Germany today to meet the new President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde.

Business • 25 Nov 19

ECB President Christine Lagarde made her first major policy speech in Frankfurt today

ECB's Lagarde tells euro zone to 'innovate and invest'

Christine Lagarde has today urged European countries to "innovate and invest" more to support growth at a time of global uncertainty, in her first major policy speech as president of the European Central Bank.

Business • 22 Nov 19

New ECB boss Lagarde slams Germany for low spending

Incoming European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde today took aim at Germany and other euro zone members running budgetary surpluses.

Business • 30 Oct 19

Mario Draghi's last news conference as President of the ECB was not the grand finale he was hoping for

Draghi defends legacy as ECB keeps money taps on

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi today defended his ultra-easy monetary policy stance as his eight-year tenure at the bank closes in exactly the same place he started: trying to prop up a perpetually ailing currency bloc.

Business • 25 Oct 19

Sabine Lautenschlaeger will step down from the ECB on October 31

ECB board member's departure highlights split

The European Central Bank lost its third German board member to resignation over policy differences in a decade today.

Business • 26 Sep 19

Christine Lagarde is set to become the first female president of the European Central Bank

Lagarde wins EU approval to lead ECB

The European Parliament has today backed Christine Lagarde as the next president of the European Central Bank, paving the way for her to become the first woman to hold the post.

Business • 17 Sep 19

European Central Bank cut its deposit interest rate - the rate it charges banks to hold money - from -0.4% to -0.5%

ECB announces measures to kick start euro zone economy

The European Central Bank has today approved a fresh stimulus package as expected, cutting interest rates and approving a new round of bond purchases to prop up euro zone growth and halt a drop in inflation expectations.

Business • 12 Sep 19

Christine Lagarde maintains that persistently low inflation requires prolonged stimulus

Lagarde clears key hurdle in becoming next ECB chief

Christine Lagarde took a major step towards becoming the European Central Bank's next president this week, securing the backing of a European Parliament committee after pledging to keep policy loose while undertaking a broader strategy review.

Business • 05 Sep 19

Christine Lagarde was speaking before the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee today

ECB President hopeful supports bank's current stance

The nominee to be the next President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, has said she supports the current stance of the ECB.

Business • 04 Sep 19

Ms Lagarde said she had made the decision to quit in order to hasten the appointment of her successor as managing director of the fund

Lagarde to leave IMF in September

Christine Lagarde will leave the International Monetary Fund in September, as her nomination to lead Europe's central bank gathers pace.

Business • 16 Jul 19

Current Bank of England Governor Mark Carney

France denies Franco-German deal on Carney for IMF job

France is still pushing for a European consensus around a candidate to run the International Monetary Fund, the finance ministry said last night.

Business • 10 Jul 19

George Osborne may be lining up a bid to replace Christine Lagarde as head of the IMF

Ex-British finance chief Osborne eyes IMF role - media

Former British finance minister George Osborne is lining up a bid to replace Christine Lagarde as head of the International Monetary Fund, UK newspapers reported Thursday.

Business • 04 Jul 19

Christine Lagarde said she was honoured by the ECB nomination

Lagarde's ECB nomination puts IMF into succession race

The nomination of Christine Lagarde as European Central Bank president has thrust the International Monetary Fund into an early, unanticipated search for a new leader.

Business • 03 Jul 19

The announcement came after three long days of negotiations

Two women set for top European jobs

Two women are set to take the two of the top jobs in Europe as part of an agreement between France and Germany.

Europe • 02 Jul 19