Central Bank


ECB’s Nagel: Stronger Global Role of Euro Would Boost Strategic Autonomy

ECB’s Nagel: Stronger Global Role of Euro Would Boost Strategic Autonomy

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel said on Wednesday that Europe should seek to strengthen the international role of the euro, arguing that doing so would increase strategic autonomy in a fragmenting global environment.

15 July 2026
ECB Insight: Nagel Confirms that a July Hike Is Not the Baseline

ECB Insight: Nagel Confirms that a July Hike Is Not the Baseline

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel’s newest remarks confirm that a July rate hike is not the European Central Bank’s baseline and underscore the need for the ECB to exercise great caution under the prevailing circumstances.

15 July 2026
ECB’s Nagel Signals No Rush to Follow June Hike with Another Move

ECB’s Nagel Signals No Rush to Follow June Hike with Another Move

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel signaled that the ECB need not rush into another rate hike after June’s move, saying the decision had put policy at an appropriate level and that caution was warranted amid high uncertainty.

15 July 2026
ECB Insight: Markets Rely on Policymakers’ Signals, Not the ECB’s “Reaction Function”

ECB Insight: Markets Rely on Policymakers’ Signals, Not the ECB’s “Reaction Function”

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is fond of assuring markets that they understand the ECB’s reaction function. After the ECB’s June meeting , for example, she said the Governing Council’s job was to “follow carefully the reaction function that you are all familiar with” and to be “as transparent about [it] as possible so that we are predictable.”

14 July 2026
ECB Tone Meter Weekly Update: Tone Moves Toward Neutral, Then Middle East Uncertainty Returns

ECB Tone Meter Weekly Update: Tone Moves Toward Neutral, Then Middle East Uncertainty Returns

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) - Econostream's ECB Tone Meter declined markedly this week in both its Governing Council and Executive Board measures, with the latter remaining slightly more hawkish than the former, as policymakers sounded less likely early in the week to hike again and were then largely silent following the renewed outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East.

10 July 2026
ECB’s Escrivá: Recent Oil Price Swings Make Rate Decisions Harder

ECB’s Escrivá: Recent Oil Price Swings Make Rate Decisions Harder

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member José Luis Escrivá said on Thursday that recent swings in oil prices triggered by developments in the Middle East conflict were making it more difficult for policymakers to assess the appropriate path for interest rates.

9 July 2026
ECB Account: June Hike Was Not Insurance Move, But ECB Avoids Guidance

ECB Account: June Hike Was Not Insurance Move, But ECB Avoids Guidance

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank’s June rate hike was warranted by a persistent energy shock and should “not be seen as an insurance hike,” but policymakers avoided signaling whether further tightening would follow, according to the account of the meeting, released Thursday.

9 July 2026