A post by @FirstSquawk on X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said discussions over the succession of the European Central Bank presidency are ongoing “intensively” but no decision has been made yet. The remarks signal that Berlin has not settled on a candidate to replace Christine Lagarde when her term ends in October 2027, leaving the eurozone’s most influential government publicly uncommitted on the appointment. The ECB presidency is one of the most market-sensitive roles in global finance, and the choice will shape the euro area’s monetary policy stance for years. Watch for further signals from Berlin and other eurozone capitals on whether a consensus candidate emerges, and for any shift in rate expectations as the succession debate develops.