Central Bank


ECB’s Demarco Says Case for Looking Through Oil Shock Is Fading

ECB’s Demarco Says Case for Looking Through Oil Shock Is Fading

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Alexander Demarco said Tuesday that the ECB’s ability to look through the latest oil shock was weakening as the Middle East conflict drags on and energy prices remain elevated.

12 May 2026
ECB’s Elderson: Europe’s Banking Problem Is Fragmentation, Not Regulation

ECB’s Elderson: Europe’s Banking Problem Is Fragmentation, Not Regulation

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Executive Board member Frank Elderson on Tuesday said Europe’s banking sector was held back by fragmented markets rather than excessive regulation, calling for faster progress on the banking union, capital markets integration and the Single Market.

12 May 2026
ECB's Panetta Elected Chair of BIS Board

ECB's Panetta Elected Chair of BIS Board

By Laura Contemori – ROME (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Fabio Panetta was elected chair of the board of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for a three-year term starting June 3, the BIS said in a press release on Tuesday.

12 May 2026
ECB’s Patsalides: Things Point to June Rate Hike, But Not New Tightening Cycle

ECB’s Patsalides: Things Point to June Rate Hike, But Not New Tightening Cycle

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Christodoulos Patsalides said in an interview published Monday that worsening inflation risks were pushing the ECB toward a possible June rate hike, though he cautioned that any move would depend on incoming data and would not necessarily open a new tightening phase.

11 May 2026
ECB Insight: Lagarde Keeps June Open — Upward, but Also Sideways

ECB Insight: Lagarde Keeps June Open — Upward, but Also Sideways

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has not undone the hawkish signal of April 30, when she suggested that “directionally, I know where we're heading.” Still, she has made clearer that June 11 may be more open than markets believed.

11 May 2026
ECB’s Kocher: Stagflation Risk “Cannot Be Ruled Out”

ECB’s Kocher: Stagflation Risk “Cannot Be Ruled Out”

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Martin Kocher said that the risk of stagflation in the Eurozone could not be ruled out and that the ECB should not wait too long to raise interest rates if energy prices failed to improve quickly and clearly.

11 May 2026
ECB’s Escrivá Says Private Stablecoins Cannot Anchor Monetary System

ECB’s Escrivá Says Private Stablecoins Cannot Anchor Monetary System

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member José Luis Escrivá on Saturday said private stablecoins could not serve as the anchor of the monetary system, arguing that central banks remained essential guarantors of trust amid geoeconomic fragmentation and rapid technological change.

9 May 2026
ECB’s Nagel Says Governing Council Very Vigilant on Energy-Driven Inflation Risks

ECB’s Nagel Says Governing Council Very Vigilant on Energy-Driven Inflation Risks

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel said on Friday that the Eurosystem remained highly vigilant about inflationary risks stemming from the energy shock, while arguing that Germany faced major structural challenges requiring reforms to labor supply, investment conditions and productivity growth.

8 May 2026
ECB Insight: Schnabel Moves From No Rush to Don’t Wait Too Long

ECB Insight: Schnabel Moves From No Rush to Don’t Wait Too Long

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Although her remarks on Thursday evening may have been taken hawkishly, European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel did not make the case that the ECB must raise rates in June, even if such an outcome seems likely from today’s perspective. Rather, while continuing to leave the ECB an escape hatch, she emphasized that waiting for wage growth to prove second-round effects could imply waiting too long.

8 May 2026
ECB Insight: Villeroy’s Farewell to Humility

ECB Insight: Villeroy’s Farewell to Humility

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member François Villeroy de Galhau’s final monetary policy speech as Banque de France governor on Thursday was meant to be an exercise in humility. Hypocrisy won.

8 May 2026
ECB’s Lagarde Says Europe Should Not Copy US Stablecoin Model

ECB’s Lagarde Says Europe Should Not Copy US Stablecoin Model

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Friday said Europe should not respond to the spread of dollar stablecoins by simply promoting euro-denominated versions, warning that this could create financial stability risks and weaken monetary policy transmission.

8 May 2026