The first woman to run the EU's law enforcement agency comes into the job with a lot of doubts to overcome.

The biggest: Her previous job.

Catherine De Bolle, who took over as head of Europol on Tuesday, was Belgium’s top cop during the terror attacks in Paris in 2015 that were partly planned in Brussels, and four months later when the same group struck the EU capital itself. Both of these exposed shortcomings in her country's policing.

Citing her track record in Belgium, officials at Europol and several European security and intelligence services raised concerns about her ability to coordinate the Continent’s counterterrorism efforts, which is the agency's main task. Belgian law enforcement drew widespread criticism in particular for failing to share information, both across borders but within Belgium itself, and connect the dots about terror threats.

Security and intelligence sources pointed out that the director of Europol must liaise with police forces from 27 countries and questioned whether she would have the authority to elicit cooperation from security services from across the EU.

De Bolle refuted criticism of her record in Belgium, pointing out that major EU countries including Germany, France and the U.K. have suffered deadly terror attacks.

"She failed to properly coordinate the country's police services, one wonders how she will succeed in doing a better job on a European scale," said a senior security analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. "She does not allow critical voices to be heard and that is a handicap."

De Bolle, who served as Commissioner General of the federal police from 2012 until last week, succeeds Rob Wainwright, a former intelligence analyst at MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence service. He built a reputation as a strong communicator who used the authority of his office to push for better coordination among European agencies.

Presented with the doubts, De Bolle refuted criticism of her record in Belgium, pointing out that major EU countries including Germany, France and the U.K., as well as the U.S., have suffered deadly terror attacks.

“If … ‘failing’ is having an executed attack, then there are many other countries and authorities that failed in their fight against terrorism because they could not prevent an attack,” De Bolle told POLITICO over email.

Her supporters note that for all the criticism leveled at the Belgian response to the terrorist attacks, De Bolle emerged personally unscathed.

“Not only in Europe, but also in the U.S. for example, the FBI interrogated the perpetrator of the attack in Orlando two times prior to the attacks, even a week before the attack,” she said.

She added that Belgian authorities "responded swiftly and in a well-organized manner immediately to the attacks."

Critics at home

De Bolle has come under attack at home. Belgium’s Committee P, an independent watchdog tasked with overseeing the country’s police force, found in 2016 that Belgian police had information as early as mid-2014 that the brothers Salah and Brahim Abdeslam — alleged perpetrators of the Paris attacks — intended to carry out “an irreversible act."

The report also highlighted sloppiness by individuals, limited resources and a lack of procedural guidance for officials dealing with highly sensitive information.

Yves Keppens — who chaired the committee from 2012 until his retirement in 2017 — accused De Bolle of attempting to hamper the investigations that followed the Paris and Brussels attacks.

"After the November 13 attacks in Paris it became increasingly difficult to collaborate with her and her services," Keppens told POLITICO. "She said our inquiry constituted an obstacle to their daily work. She also wanted to see a draft of the report. She even used [Belgian Interior Minister Jan] Jambon to push us to release a copy to her."

Keppens said De Bolle attempted to withhold documents that the committee requested, a violation of the watchdog's mandate. She also advocated closing the oversight committee in the Belgian press. calling it outdated and voicing frustration about how the police had been treated in the aftermath of the attacks.

De Bolle did not deny that there were tensions between her and the watchdog, and bemoaned the fact that she only heard about the report’s conclusions in the press.

“In my opinion, it is logical that when a service or a policeman receives comments, a possibility is created to defend themselves and that also the defense is included in the report,” De Bolle said. "In this way, the readers of the report receive the full picture and they can take into consideration also the defense."

Hitting the jackpot

The 48-year-old, media-shy Belgian does have a squad of national and international supporters who describe her as a tough, exceptional police officer who leads by example.

“Cops — it’s a white man job,” said Saad Amrani, the chief commissioner and policy adviser of the Belgian Federal Police. “She has had to develop tremendous strength to survive five years.”

“No one wanted a woman at the head of the organization,” added Amrami, who is of Moroccan descent. “The federal police is a boys club, and many conservatives were not happy to have a female boss.”

Her supporters note that for all the criticism leveled at the Belgian response to the terror attacks, De Bolle emerged personally unscathed.

“Here, you have the first woman to run Europol, and she seems to be ticking the boxes," said Claude Moraes, a British MEP and chair of the Liberty, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the European Parliament. "She has been running a very complex situation in her home country and is aware of current failings, strengths and limitations."

Jambon, the Belgian interior minister, said in a speech in Tallinn last month that by choosing De Bolle, Europol "hit the jackpot," adding the organization "managed to recruit a remarkable lady for this top-level position." </s> Christine Lagarde is a high-flying former lawyer who rose to become the first woman to lead the International Monetary Fund but who may find her stellar career blemished by a conviction for negligence.

She started a second five-year term as the organisation's managing director in February and has won plaudits for her handling of the Greek financial crisis.

But her conviction in Paris Monday for failing to challenge a 404-million-euro ($422 million) award to flamboyant French businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008 over the sale of sportswear brand Adidas is a setback.

However, in what might prove crucial for Lagarde's IMF future, the court ruled she will not be fined or face a jail sentence.

Her woes strike at the core of another of her tasks: restoring morale at the institution after both of her predecessors suffered legal problems.

Before the trial, Lagarde, usually impeccably dressed in luxury French brands, dismissed the prosecution over the case of Tapie as "political". The court that tried her is staffed by judges and parliamentarians and hears the cases of former or serving French ministers.

The case is a stain on an otherwise stellar international career in business, government and finance that has seen her break through barriers as a woman.

She was the first female chairman of a major global law firm — the US-based Baker and McKenzie — and was France's first woman economy minister when named by then president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

The divorced mother of two sons, who is in a relationship with entrepreneur Xavier Giocanti, took over the reins of the IMF in 2011, overseeing the giant organisation which lends money to stricken countries and monitors the international financial system.

Economist Desmond Lachman, a former IMF official, recalls that "there are many instances of Ms. Lagarde's courageous truth-telling" — often as the only women in the room.

This once included scolding her successor as French finance minister, Pierre Moscovici, who fell asleep during one of many crisis meetings on her watch at the IMF.

The stamina of the former synchronised swimmer, who represented France as a schoolgirl, is legendary and she says she gave up drinking alcohol 15 years ago to improve her performance.

When not attending international summits, negotiating bailout programmes for bankrupt countries or crunching data at the IMF headquarters, she likes to relax on a farm she owns in northern France.

Born to middle-class teacher parents, she went to school in the northern port city of Le Havre before going on to study at universities in France and the US.

During her time at the IMF, Lagarde has worked to increase the influence of emerging countries, particularly China, and has taken part in bailout talks for Greece and Ukraine.

She is a staunch defender of the international trade system and has spoken out about the dangers of rising nationalism and a "populist backlash" around the world.

She said in September that globalisation "has to benefit all, not a few", but argued that the fruits of a connected world were severely undersold by politicians. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Christine Lagarde has become known as the "rock star" of international finance

Christine Lagarde has said she will step down as managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It comes ahead of a decision on her nomination to become head of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Ms Lagarde said she would leave the IMF on 12 September.

"With greater clarity now on the process for my nomination as ECB president and the time it will take, I have made this decision in the best interest of the fund," she said.

"The executive board will now be taking the necessary steps to move forward with the process for selecting a new managing director."

The former French cabinet minister has been head of the IMF since 2011.

If the European Council approves her ECB nomination, she will become the central bank's first ever female leader, responsible for the euro and the monetary policy of the eurozone.

Known as the "rock star" of international finance, Ms Lagarde, 63, began her career as a lawyer before moving into politics.

She served in various ministerial posts under Nicolas Sarközy before being elected as the first female boss of the IMF - replacing Dominique Strauss Khan.

Analysis by Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent

Who will take over at the IMF? The nominations will start coming in soon enough. But the selection raises once again an old sore in arrangements for the leadership of the IMF and the World Bank.

There was a post-Second World War understanding - or carve-up if you prefer - that the top job at the IMF would go to a European, while an American would run the World Bank. Christine Lagarde continued that tradition.

She was the IMF's fifth French managing director. The issue was last reopened earlier this year, when a vacancy suddenly arose at the top of the World Bank. President Trump's nominee, David Malpass got the job. There have been challenges to the established practice.

When Ms Lagarde was selected, the Mexican central banker Agustin Carstens ran against her, and there were non-European nominations before that. It would not be a surprising if there were more this time. So far, however the post war deal has held up.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Lagarde is known as the "rock star" of international finance

Consistently ranked among the top 10 most powerful women globally, Ms Lagarde has helped to rebuild the IMF's credibility following Greece's 2010 bailout, which bent the fund's rules.

She also presided over the IMF's biggest bailout, a $57bn deal for Argentina last year that many credited with arresting emerging market turbulence.

Last year, she was reported to have said "no, no, no no, no no" when asked if she was interested in running the European Central Bank (ECB).

However, she later described receiving the nomination as "an honour".

The role is likely to test the silver-haired 63-year-old, who has admitted before that she lacks economic experience. Dark clouds are hovering over Italy's banking sector and the bloc is in the midst of a slowdown.

However, one former IMF official said her leadership of the fund meant she was "exceptionally qualified" to run the ECB.

Christine Lagarde's career

1956: Born in Paris

1973: Wins scholarship to exclusive US school for a year, where she perfects her English

1981: After law school in Paris, joins international law firm Baker & McKenzie as an associate, becoming chair 18 years later

2005: Becomes France's trade minister in 2005

2007: Becomes France's finance minister, the first woman to hold this post not just in France but in any of the G8 major industrial countries

2011: Becomes head of the IMF

2019: Nominated to become president of the European Central Bank </s> Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the new European Commission President.

The European Parliament voted 383-327 with 22 abstentions on to approve Ms von der Leyen’s nomination. The confirmation required an absolute majority of 374 votes.

She said: “I feel so honoured and I am overwhelmed. The task ahead of us humbles me.”

The outgoing German defence minister was nominated by EU leaders as part over an overall appointments package, but still needed the backing of the parliament.

She was a last-minute candidate and many MEPs were angry none of their lead candidates were picked for the job.

She said: “My message to all of you is: let us work together constructively.”

Ms Von der Leyen set out her political objectives on a greener, gender-equal Europe where the rule of law continues to hold sway earlier in the day.

Her approval was a key part in the package of top jobs that EU leaders agreed upon early this month.

Under the deal, the free-market liberal Renew Europe group got Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as European Council President and the Socialists won the top parliament job. France’s Christine Lagarde was put forward as head of the European Central Bank.

Ms Von der Leyen told MEPs in Strasbourg that the gender element will be an essential part of her job.

“I will ensure full gender equality” in her team of 28 commissioners.

Pointing out that since its inception in 1958, less than 20% of commissioners had been women, she said: “We represent half of our population. We want our fair share.”

Prior to the vote, some MEPs voiced their anger that they were sidelined in the appointment process. Their candidates for the commission post, arguably the most important of all the jobs, were all rejected by the EU leaders. </s> Christine Lagarde is resigning as managing director of the International Monetary Fund in light of her nomination to be the next president of the European Central Bank.

Lagarde has already given up her day-to-day duties as head of the IMF, and the international lending agency has named a top deputy, David Lipton, as acting managing director.

"I have made this decision in the best interest of the Fund, as it will expedite the selection process for my successor," Lagarde said today.

Lagarde said her resignation will be effective on September 12.

Lagarde took over the IMF in 2011 after her predecessor, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was ensared in sexual assault allegations.

As managing director, she coordinated large bailout loans for Greece in concert with the ECB and European Union.

She was nominated to be the first woman president of the ECB July 2 by the eurozone's 19 member governments.

If her nomination is approved, Lagarde will replace Mario Draghi, who has pushed the ECB's benchmark interest rate to record lows near zero and has spent 2.6 trillion euros on European financial assets in an effort to boost growth and inflation.

Under Lagarde's leadership, the IMF has supported those efforts and warned against premature rate hikes. </s> Brussels: After three days of arduous negotiations, European Union leaders have broken a deadlock and nominated German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen to become the new president of the bloc's powerful executive arm, the European Commission.

She will take over from Jean-Claude Juncker for the next five years.

European Council president Donald Tusk said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel would take over from him in the (northern) autumn.

Frenchwoman Christine Lagarde was proposed as president of the European Central Bank, while Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell was nominated to become EU foreign policy chief, meaning he would be charged with supervising the Iran nuclear deal, among other duties. </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption Ursula von der Leyen was backed by Angela Merkel but there was resistance to her nomination within the German coalition

EU leaders have put forward their nominations for the bloc's top jobs, with a woman for the first time proposed as European Commission chief.

The surprise choice of German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker came after the main front-runners were rejected.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the first woman to head the European Central Bank (ECB).

The announcement follows days of difficult negotiations.

In all, EU leaders were tasked with nominating five people for the top jobs.

Belgian liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel is nominated to replace European Council President Donald Tusk while Spain's Josep Borrell is proposed as foreign policy chief.

The fifth key role - president of the European Parliament - is to be chosen on Wednesday. Possible candidates include German centre-right MEP Manfred Weber and Bulgarian socialist Sergei Stanishev.

Most of the roles must be ratified by the European Parliament.

Is everyone happy with the choices?

"We have agreed the whole package before the first session of the European Parliament," said Mr Tusk.

He said Germany had abstained on Mrs von der Leyen's nomination over coalition issues but pointed out that Chancellor Angela Merkel herself had backed her.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the nominations were "the fruit of a deep Franco-German entente".

"Von der Leyen is a very good candidate and a very good choice to head the European Commission," he told reporters, adding that Ms Lagarde's "capacities and competences... totally qualified her" for the ECB.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Donald Tusk announces choices for top European Commission jobs

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the nomination of two women for key jobs sent a powerful message that the EU was leading the way towards gender equality.

However, there were concerns that the European Parliament's own contest for the main job - the "Spitzenkandidaten" (lead candidate) process - had been cast aside. Neither the winner of that process, Manfred Weber of Germany, nor other frontrunners were selected by EU leaders.

"You have to compromise in politics," Mr Varadkar insisted, adding that the centre-right Mr Weber would most likely be given the shared presidency of the European Parliament along with a Socialist figure.

There was also surprise that four of the main jobs had gone to Western Europeans, with no nominations from Eastern Europe.

However, the eastern states are thought to have been strongly behind Mrs von der Leyen's nomination, having rejected a compromise involving Dutch Labour leader Frans Timmermans the night before.

Days of indecision reveal EU power shift

Ursula von der Leyen - if confirmed as new European Commission president - will not bring winds of change to Brussels. She's loyal to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a true Christian Democrat and a conservative Europhile.

As for Brexit, remember, the European Commission negotiated on behalf of EU member states. Those negotiations ended when the UK government signed off on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement back in November.

The only ones now with the legal power to change or add to the text are EU national leaders, not the commission. And what these days of indecision among national leaders over these top EU jobs have shown us is that while France and Germany are still powerful, they are not all-powerful in EU circles any more.

Chancellor Merkel and President Macron were unable to impose on others the EU job allocation plan agreed between them at the G20. Something for the new UK prime minister to consider, perhaps, ahead of planning trips to Berlin and Paris to request a renegotiation of the Brexit deal.

The nominees in full

Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission president

Image copyright EPA

What's the job? The EU commission president heads the executive branch, sets the policy agenda and controls a cabinet of commissioners.

Who is she? Born in Brussels, Mrs von der Leyen, 60, and her family moved to Germany when she was 13. She studied economics at London's LSE and medicine in Hanover before going into politics.

She has been a member of Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) since 2005.

If Mrs von der Leyen is confirmed in the role it would be the first time in more than 60 years that a German has been given the post.

Christine Lagarde - head of the European Central Bank

Image copyright AFP

What's the job? Running the ECB, which is responsible for the euro and the monetary policy of the eurozone. The role is currently filled by Mario Draghi, who was widely credited with saving the euro during the eurozone debt crisis.

Who is she? Ms Lagarde, 63, who is French, was the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when she took the job in 2011.

She studied in the US before graduating from law school in Paris and obtaining a Masters degree from the Political Science Institute in Aix en Provence

She was appointed France's trade minister in 2005 and finance minister in 2007.

Charles Michel - European Council president

Image copyright Reuters

What's the job? Chairs the body made up of the leaders of EU member states which defines the EU's political direction.

Who is he? In 2014 Mr Michel at the age of 38 became Belgium's youngest prime minister since 1841.

He has been a lawyer at the Brussels Bar since 1998 and a member of the Belgian parliament since 1999.

Mr Michel's father, Louis Michel, has also been a prominent politician and an MEP.

Josep Borrell - EU foreign policy chief

Image copyright EPA

What's the job? Co-ordinating and representing foreign and security policy for the EU. The brief is currently held by Italy's Federica Mogherini.

Who is he? The 72-year-old Spanish foreign minister is set to make a return to the top tier of EU politics after serving as European Parliament president from 2004 to 2007.

He began his career as a member of the Spanish Socialist Party in 1975 and has a reputation for plain speaking. </s> Paris, Oct 6 (IANS) Interpol’s Secretary General on Saturday asked the Chinese authorities to clarify the status of the international police organization’s President Meng Hongwei, who reportedly went missing while on a trip to China seven days ago.

Jurgen Stock said Interpol used official law enforcement channels to convey its message to the Chinese authorities and also asked them to address concerns over the well-being of Meng, Efe news reported.

“Interpol’s General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from the Chinese authorities to address concerns over the President’s well-being,” said Stock.

The International Criminal Police Organization, more commonly referred to as Interpol, is a France-based organization that links together international police forces and helps facilitate cooperation between them.

France had on Friday opened an investigation into the alleged disappearance of Meng, whose wife said he went missing on a trip to China.

There has been no news regarding his whereabouts since he left Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon for his native China on September 28.

His wife, who remained in France with their two children, reported her concerns to the police, who launched a probe.

Meng, 64, a high ranking member of China’s Communist Party, was elected as head of Interpol in 2016, replacing Mireille Ballestrazzi.

He thus became the first Chinese national to head the organization, but his nomination met opposition from activist groups critical of China’s track record on human rights.

Interpol links police forces in 192 countries and enables them to work together to fight crime on an international scale.

It provides expertise and capabilities, particularly in three main crime scenarios: Counter-terrorism, cybercrime, and organized as well as emerging crime. </s> Italian Sassoli for the EP, French Lagarde candidate for the ECB, German Ursula von der Leyen candidate for the EC

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was named the new president of the European Council

David-Maria Sassoli, an Italian politician from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has been elected the European Parliament President.

The European Parliament had to hold a second round of voting for the president, because none of the four candidates secured a majority in the first round.

Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund was submitted as a candidate for president of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Her nomination will need the support of the European Parliament and the ECB’s Governing Council.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was named the new president of the European Council.

The European Council chose the German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen as a candidate for president of the European Commission but she needs the majority of the European Parliament at the July 16th voting to head the EC.
Catherine De Bolle from Belgium becomes the first woman to lead Europol.