Christine Lagarde received €595,000 ($701,830) in 2025 as President of the European Central Bank, in addition to the residence provided by the institution.
Her base salary was $492,204, up 5.6% from the previous year, according to the ECB’s annual accounts published Thursday. She also received a 21% representation allowance amounting to €103,362.
The ECB provides health, long-term care, and accident insurance programs for Executive Board members, though it does not disclose individual details.
As a member of the Bank for International Settlements board, Lagarde also received 130,457 Swiss francs ($168,390) last year, as she recently revealed in a letter to European lawmakers.
Lagarde faces increasing scrutiny over her pay. Her annual compensation exceeds that of many global peers, including Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve. She also faces criticism over rumors suggesting she might leave the ECB before her term ends in October 2027.
Speculation intensified after reports suggested she could step down before the French elections next spring, allowing President Emmanuel Macron to influence her successor’s selection. An ECB statement failed to quell the rumors, and Lagarde herself insists her continued tenure remains her stated plan.
Most economists expect her resignation this year, according to a Bloomberg survey, with Klaas Knot emerging as the frontrunner to succeed her.
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