Key facts
- Lagarde's facial bandages are from skin cancer surgery.
- She will step down as ECB president on February 7, 2027.
- Lagarde made the clarification in an internal video to ECB staff.
Christine Lagarde, the outgoing president of the European Central Bank, clarified that bandages visible on her face were due to skin cancer surgery. She addressed speculation in an internal video message to ECB staff, humorously stating, "This is not kick-boxing in Thailand... It is just a little skin cancer that had to go." Lagarde, who is 70, announced on October 29, 2026, that she will step down on February 7, 2027, nearly a year before her term officially ends. The ECB declined to comment on the matter, referring to Lagarde's earlier statement.