Central Bank

ECB’s Kažimír Faces New Reappointment Obstacle as Political Stalemate Persists

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Peter Kažimír faces a fresh obstacle to securing a second term at the head of Slovakia’s national bank (NBS) after Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said he would not reappoint him without a final court ruling clearing him of wrongdoing, adding another condition to a nomination already blocked by disagreements within the governing coalition.

29 October 2026

ECB Insight: After Unanimous Hold, a Noncommittal Lagarde to Preserve Tightening Bias

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank is headed for a hold on Thursday, probably by unanimous decision, with President Christine Lagarde likely to preserve a tightening bias while remaining deliberately noncommittal about the path of rates from here.

27 October 2026

ECB Bank Lending Survey: Eurozone Banks See Further Credit Tightening as Loan Demand Weakens

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – Eurozone banks reported tighter lending standards for firms and consumer credit in the third quarter of 2026, alongside weakening loan demand across all categories, according to the European Central Bank's October Bank Lending Survey (BLS).

27 October 2026

Full Report: Econostream ECB Economist Survey – October 2026

Published: 26th October 2026

27 October 2026

Econostream ECB Survey: December and No More? Economists See Rates at 2.75% Through 2027

- 23 of 24 analysts expect October hold, with December hike widely anticipated

27 October 2026

ECB’s Elderson: Nature Risks Increasingly Part of Central Bank “Bread and Butter”

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Nature-related risks are increasingly relevant to central banks because of their potential effects on inflation, financial stability and banks, European Central Bank Executive Board member Frank Elderson said Monday.

26 October 2026

ECB: Euro Area Firms Report Tighter Lending Conditions, Lower Loan Availability

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Euro area firms reported a further tightening in bank lending conditions in the third quarter, with higher borrowing costs accompanied by a decline in loan availability and expectations that access to external financing will deteriorate further, the European Central Bank said Monday.

26 October 2026

ECB Tone Meter Weekly Update: Higher Bond Yields Temper Hawkishness Ahead of October Meeting

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – The European Central Bank's Governing Council became slightly less hawkish over the past week as its October monetary policy meeting approaches, according to Econostream's ECB Tone Meter, with policymakers increasingly acknowledging that higher borrowing costs could reduce the need for further interest rate hikes.

26 October 2026

Kukies Rejects ECB Move Despite Klingbeil Push – Platow Brief

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Former German finance minister Jörg Kukies has turned down a move to the European Central Bank despite persistent efforts by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil to recruit him, Platow Brief reported Friday.

23 October 2026

ECB Comment Recap: Officials Weigh Further Hikes Amid Tighter Financial Conditions Ahead of October Meeting

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – Following is a collection of views expressed by ECB Governing Council members on various topics of high relevance related to next week’s meeting and the further evolution of monetary policy.

23 October 2026

ECB: Consumer Inflation Expectations Edge Higher for Year Ahead, Longer Horizons Unchanged

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Euro area consumers raised their near-term inflation expectations slightly in September while leaving longer-term expectations unchanged, the European Central Bank said Friday.

23 October 2026

ECB Insight: France Could Shape ECB Policy Well Before It Triggers Bond Purchases

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank’s possible responses to mounting French fiscal and market tensions extend well beyond the question of whether it would buy French government bonds. Public and other comments amply confirm that the consequences of tighter financial conditions are already entering policymakers’ thinking, even as they insist that France must resolve its own fiscal problems.

22 October 2026

ECB's Panetta: Higher Energy Prices, Bond Yields Weighing on European Growth

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Fabio Panetta warned on Thursday that rising energy prices and higher borrowing costs were weighing on economic growth, particularly in Europe, where economic activity remains weaker than in the United States.

22 October 2026

ECB’s Lane: Aim Is to Return Inflation to 2% Without Derailing Growth

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank aims to bring inflation back to 2% while avoiding derailing economic growth and will not commit to future interest rate moves in advance, Executive Board member Philip...

21 October 2026

Transcript: Interview with ECB Governing Council member Mārtiņš Kazāks on 17 October 2026

By David Barwick and Marta Vilar - BANGKOK (Econostream) - Following is a transcript of the interview conducted by Econostream with Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka and member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank on 17 October 2026.

21 October 2026

Exclusive: ECB’s Kazāks: “One Has to Be Cautious Because of Opposing Forces”

By Marta Vilar and David Barwick – BANGKOK (Econostream) – The European Central Bank is well positioned at the moment but faces a situation demanding particular caution in determining monetary policy, ECB Governing Council member Mārtiņš Kazāks told Econostream on Saturday.

21 October 2026

ECB’s Nagel: Europe Needs Deeper Financial Integration Without Weakening Bank Resilience

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel said Wednesday that Europe needed to deepen the integration of its banking and capital markets while ensuring that efforts to simplify regulation did not undermine the resilience of its financial system.

21 October 2026

ECB’s Lane: Enhanced Euro Liquidity Facility to Support Bond Markets, Policy Transmission

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The European Central Bank’s enhanced liquidity facility for foreign central banks should strengthen euro bond markets and help protect monetary policy transmission against international financial disruptions, ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane said on Wednesday.

21 October 2026

Transcript: Interview with Banque de France Deputy Governor Agnès Bénassy-Quéré on 17 October 2026

By David Barwick – BANGKOK (Econostream) - Following is the full transcript of the interview conducted by Econostream on 17 October 2026 with Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, Second Deputy Governor of the Banque de France:

20 October 2026

Exclusive: Banque de France’s Bénassy-Quéré: Should Advance SIU Without Waiting for Common Safe Asset

By David Barwick – BANGKOK (Econostream) – Europe will need a common safe asset, but making it central to the Savings and Investments Union would risk blocking negotiations, Banque de France Second Deputy Governor Agnès Bénassy-Quéré said in an interview conducted on October 17.

20 October 2026