Lagarde highlights constant alert, preparedness on crisis response

European Central Bank President and former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde has emphasized the importance of staying alert and prepared when responding to crises, drawing on lessons from throughout her career.

Lagarde made the remarks in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, which ran from Oct 12 to 18.

Regarding her efforts to address the ripple effects of events such as crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, Lagarde said she has learned not to judge people by their appearance.

"You learn a lot. You learn a lot about yourself, you learn a lot about the people who work with you. And it's fascinating, actually, to observe those who keep their nerves, those who lose their temper. And certainly a lesson that I've learned is not to judge people from, you know, the impression or the first impression they make on you. Because some people whom I would have thought were very steady, very calm, got very, very panicked. And the other way around. So lesson No.1: don't judge a book by its cover, but don't judge a person by its appearance. That's number one," said Lagarde.

Lagarde also noted that crises are not always negative -- they can prompt people to change their minds and generate new momentum.

"I think, you know, No.2: crises are painful. They usually inflict suffering on people, but they can also generate massive changes. And it's a time when what you thought was impossible becomes possible. If I look at COVID, for instance. COVID was a major crisis where everything was put on hold: people were kept at home, had to cover themselves. And yet it's at that moment that the Europeans came together and decided to jointly borrow and agreed to give more to those who suffered more, and to actually contribute to that support. If you had asked me two years before COVID if that would happen, I would have said over my dead body. And it did. So crisis are generators of new impetus, new initiatives, new projects and a change of the mind," she said.

As crises tend to unfold rapidly, Lagarde noted that people always need to remain vigilant and prepared.

"The last thing that I would take away from those crises is that they tend to accelerate. Crises have their own rhythm. But what I've seen recently is like, you know, it's like one crisis after the other. You hardly have time to, you know, get out of one that another one attacks you. So you have to be on alert all the time and be prepared all the time," she said.

Lagarde highlights constant alert, preparedness on crisis response

Residents in the United Kingdom are voicing growing concern over the government's newly launched national emergency preparedness campaign, as public anxiety drives a surge in purchases of essential household goods.

The British government launched its "Be Ready" campaign on Oct. 22, urging households to stock enough basic essentials to survive for 72 hours without external assistance, a campaign driven by heightened security concerns.

Following the launch, UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting warned that adversaries could launch an attack before 2030, as the government urged the public to stock up on emergency supplies, media reports said.

After the announcement, many residents expressed concerns over financial constraints and their ability to stock up.

"Not everyone can afford to stock up ahead of time. I work with a food race charity, and we help a lot of families and older isolated people with food on a weekly basis. They can't afford to stock up," said a resident.

Retail sales have jumped significantly since the announcement. One retailer reported a 160 percent weekly increase in radio sales, while another saw sales of torches surge by 284 percent, alongside a 92 percent rise in radios and a 106 percent increase in power banks, according to media reports.

Regarding the panic buying, some residents shared their thoughts on the need for calm purchasing.

"I mean, my honest opinion, I feel like it could be a little bit of a scandal, but it could also be true, because we see a lot of things on social media these days, and we don't ever know what's going to be true and what's not going to be true. If people were to stock up, please do it now instead of people panic buying. So then the situation deescalates, and people have a little bit more peace of mind," said another resident.

Visible shortages on supermarket shelves have heightened local anxieties about everyday disruption.

"I'm just so worried that I went into Waitrose [supermarket] the other day and all the shelves of tuna are gone, all the shelves of water are gone and you know we're not there yet. And when the Defense Secretary was talking about that, he actually said we should be preparing for three years' time," said a resident.

UK emergency preparedness campaign sparks panic buying, concerns