394 Yeses, 206 Nos, 49 Abstentions.

The European Parliament gives a resounding yes to Christine Lagarde, as the next president of the European Central Bank.

Just one formality remains for the IMF chief and former French finance minister before she takes over on November 1st:

EU leaders must approve her eight-year appointment at a summit next month.

Already this month, she promised a new twist to euro zone monetary policy.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

(SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK PRESIDENT NOMINEE, CHRISTINE LAGARDE, SAYING ABOUT CLIMATE POLICY:

"Primary mandate: price stability of course. But it has to be embedded in that, that climate change and environmental risks are mission critical."

Greeted by one MEP as a step forward for gender equality, Thursday's vote wasn't without controversy.

Another MEP noting Lagarde's absence from the proceedings.

The ECB's first female president faces tough challenges ahead too.

The man she succeeds, Mario Draghi, last week cut rates and restarted an asset purchase program wound up only last December, in a bid to revive a slowing economy.

A controversial move for Europe's savers, who complain of low returns;

For Europe's banks, who talk of low profits and for some top economists, who say the ECB's stimulus programs haven't done what they're meant to.