European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg has indicated he won't step down for at least a year.
He says it would be unwise to appoint a new ECB boss within the next 12 months.
Mr Duisenberg was appointed the first-ever ECB president in mid-1998.
But, given his age, he indicated at the time he was unlikely to serve his full eight-year term.
France has said an agreement was struck whereby Mr Duisenberg, who is Dutch, would hand over after about four years to a French candidate.
That would mean he would leave next spring.
But Mr Duisenberg has refused to speculate any further about the timing of his departure.