French central bank governor François Villeroy de Galhau at the French Economy Ministry in Paris on February 3, 2026. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
Bank of France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau, who is also a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council, will step down in June, 18 months before his term was set to end in late 2027, the bank said on Monday, February 9.
"My nearly 11 years at the head of the Bank of France and in service of the euro are and will remain the honor of my public career," Villeroy de Galhau said in a statement. No reason was given for his departure.
In a letter to bank employees seen by Agence France-Presse, Villeroy de Galhau said his decision was made "with complete personal independence" and that he had informed French President Emmanuel Macron as well as ECB President Christine Lagarde a few days ago. "Early June is sufficient time to calmly organize my successor," the 66-year-old said.
Villeroy de Galhau, a former BNP Paribas executive, was named governor of the Bank of France in 2015 and renewed for a six-year term in 2021. He said he would be taking up the presidency of a Paris-based children's charity, the Fondation Apprentis d'Auteuil.
