As European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde shook hands and tasted oysters on the bucolic grounds of a Norman manor on Saturday, some might have seen a presidential candidate in waiting.
But, Lagarde swears, there is nothing to see here.
Speaking as a special guest at the Fête de la Pomme, an apple-themed political gathering organized by Normandy’s regional president Hervé Morin, Lagarde dodged questions over her involvement in the French presidential race and her early departure from the ECB — despite mounting speculation on both matters.
On stage, she even encouraged reporters who made the trip to Normandy to cover her potential political comeback to pack up early, promising that they would be disappointed.
But there are signs suggesting that the ECB chief, who entered into politics during the presidency of France’s apple-loving Jacques Chirac, is increasingly willing to weigh in on the campaign.
While she promised to stay at least until the end of the year, Lagarde previously refused to rule out leaving before the end of her term, which ends in October 2027.
Earlier this week, she announced that she would publish her first autobiography, Lady First, in January. She also waded into the French presidential debate by rejecting French far-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s proposal to wipe out government debt.
Her presence at the apple festival in the 15th-century Manoir de la Fortière — an unconventional locale for a central banker’s speech — might be yet another signal. Opening the event, Morin said that he tried to invite her for years but never managed to make it work. Until this year.
“Everyone is happy to have you here and I realized to what extent you have an exceptional reputation,” said Morin, who worked with Lagarde when they both served as ministers under conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy, including during the 2008 financial crisis.
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