Christine Lagarde, ECB President, discusses Europe’s potential for long-term growth through structural reforms, decision-making models, and leveraging its size for greater economic scale in her 2026 Paul A. Volcker Award acceptance speech.
Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, delivered the acceptance speech for the 2026 Paul A. Volcker Lifetime Achievement Award at the 42nd Annual NABE Economic Policy Conference in Washington DC.
She emphasized the importance of individual conviction and culture in maintaining central bank independence, citing Paul Volcker’s role in transforming the Federal Reserve in the 1980s.
Lagarde highlighted Europe’s decision-making structure, noting that despite its size and procedural complexity, the ECB’s Governing Council’s diversity and collective decision-making strengthen its independence and effectiveness, especially during crises.
She discussed Europe’s evolving economic landscape, including shifts in demand, increased domestic investment, and the potential of digital and AI technologies to boost productivity and growth.
Lagarde stressed the importance of removing internal barriers within the Single Market, such as trade and capital market fragmentation, to unlock Europe’s growth potential. Small policy changes could significantly increase intra-EU trade and investment flows.
She concluded that Europe’s ability to act decisively on structural issues depends on creating scale in markets and finance, and that recent reforms and initiatives demonstrate the continent’s capacity to adapt and progress.
For more information, visit the original source: ECB official announcement.
