French Lawmakers Approve Macron Nominee for Central Bank Governor

French lawmakers on Wednesday narrowly approved President Emmanuel Macron's nominee to serve as the next governor of the Banque de France. Emmanuel Moulin won just enough votes to secure the position after facing questions about his ability to act independently. Lawmakers in the lower house voted overwhelmingly against him, but enough senators backed his appointment for it to be approved.

Moulin previously served as President Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff and as director general of the French Treasury between 2020 and 2024. He also held the role of secretary general of the Elysée Palace for a year. Moulin, 57, has held a series of top posts in finance and the presidency. He served as chief of staff to a centrist prime minister during that official's brief stint in 2024.

The finance committees of parliament's two chambers, the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat, did not oppose Moulin, parliamentary sources told Agence France-Presse. Their objection would have blocked his appointment. Moulin is to succeed François Villeroy de Galhau, who has said he would step down in June, a year and a half ahead of the end of his six-year term.

Moulin will remain in the post for the stretch of the next president's mandate. Speaking in parliament earlier Wednesday, Moulin stressed that he had served France for 30 years and would ensure independence at the central bank. "The diversity of my career and the variety of roles I have held provide me with valuable experience for the role of governor of the Banque de France," he said.