European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said in an interview with Les Echos that an early departure from her role is possible. Her term is scheduled to end in October 2027.

Regarding the 2027 French presidential election, Lagarde said, "I think a European voice must be heard in the French presidential debate." She added, "If this debate were to present a perspective that diminishes France's place within Europe, I think it would be necessary to explain why this would be a painful path for our country and our citizens." On the question of her own involvement in the campaign, she said, "I'm going to ask myself some questions."

Lagarde stated, "My term ends in October 2027. And I believe my mission is to maintain price stability." She noted, "As we are once again in a period of turbulence, I believe the captain of the ECB ship must remain on board." She also said having a "frank discussion" with presidential candidates in the coming months is "very possible."

Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally party, is a frontrunner in polls to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who entered office in 2017 and is not seeking re-election. Bardella has pledged to put the European Commission and the EU "back at the service of nations and no longer the other way around." The first round of voting will occur in April 2027, with a runoff between the top two candidates if no one achieves 50% of the vote. Macron faced the National Rally, then called the Front National, in runoff stages in 2017 and 2022.

The euro sold off in February after a Financial Times report indicated Lagarde was considering an early exit. The ECB stated no decision had been made. The French government is working to enact budget cuts of at least 4 billion euros to reduce its public deficit to the EU's required 3% of GDP benchmark by 2029. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure reaffirmed a 5% deficit target in the short term. Lescure said debates surrounding the 2027 election should not impede passage of this year's budget. "There's a win-win one in which we focus on the budget, they let us pass it, we find a compromise that...[not all parties will be happy with], but at least that's going to make sure we have a budget," Lescure said. He added, "And on the other hand, the big debates about 2027 and beyond take place. We can decorrelate both, [but] if we don't, and if one becomes the hostage of the other — the budget hostage to the campaign — it's not going to work." France has had five prime ministers since Macron's re-election in 2022.