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ECB’s Kazāks: ECB Calm, but Not Complacent on Inflation

ECB’s Kazāks: ECB Calm, but Not Complacent on Inflation

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member Mārtiņš Kazāks on Wednesday said the ECB has fulfilled its mandate and could be more confident, but stressed that policymakers are not complacent about inflation.

14 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB’s de Guindos: “Geopolitical Risk Noticeably Raises Downside Risks to Growth”

ECB’s de Guindos: “Geopolitical Risk Noticeably Raises Downside Risks to Growth”

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said on Wednesday that rising geopolitical tensions significantly increased downside risks to economic growth and that wage growth was expected to moderate in the coming quarters and stabilize toward the end of 2026.

14 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB Insight: Kocher Reminds the ECB What “Meeting-by-Meeting” Actually Means

ECB Insight: Kocher Reminds the ECB What “Meeting-by-Meeting” Actually Means

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Over two days, the European Central Bank’s Governing Council offered a small but telling communications split: two senior national central bank governors drifted into calendar-based reassurance about rate hikes, while their colleague, Austrian National Bank Governor Martin Kocher, reaffirmed the ECB’s doctrine of optionality.

13 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB’s Lagarde Joins Global Central Bankers in Statement Backing Fed Chair Powell

ECB’s Lagarde Joins Global Central Bankers in Statement Backing Fed Chair Powell

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde joined other leading central bankers on Tuesday in signing a joint declaration backing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, following threats by the US government to pursue a criminal indictment against him.

13 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB’s de Guindos Warns Markets May Be Overestimating AI’s Growth Impact

ECB’s de Guindos Warns Markets May Be Overestimating AI’s Growth Impact

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said on Monday that markets may be overpricing the economic impact of artificial intelligence, warning that unmet expectations about what AI will ultimately deliver could pose a risk to growth via weaker business investment.

12 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB’s Villeroy: Rate Hikes This Year a “Fanciful Theory”

ECB’s Villeroy: Rate Hikes This Year a “Fanciful Theory”

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Governing Council member François Villeroy de Galhau on Monday argued that ECB interest rates were unlikely to rise in 2026 absent an “unlikely shock,” saying inflation had returned to target.

12 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB Insight: Portugal’s Centeno Formalizes His VP Bid, Underscoring How Unsettled the Race Is

ECB Insight: Portugal’s Centeno Formalizes His VP Bid, Underscoring How Unsettled the Race Is

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Portugal is expected to formally nominate former ECB Governing Council member and ex-Eurogroup President Mário Centeno to succeed ECB President Luis de Guindos on Friday, after Centeno announced his candidacy late Thursday, sharpening a contest that has become unusually crowded ahead of the Eurogroup’s January 9 nomination deadline. 

9 January 2026 Central Bank News
Exclusive: Portugal’s Centeno: ECB “Executive Board Should Reflect a Balanced View of Europe”

Exclusive: Portugal’s Centeno: ECB “Executive Board Should Reflect a Balanced View of Europe”

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Following is the full transcript of the interview conducted by Econostream with former European Central Bank Governing Council member Mário Centeno. The interview focused exclusively on the matter at hand—Centeno's announcement on Thursday of his candidacy to succeed ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos, whose term ends on 31 May 2026—and did not delve into any aspect of current ECB policy:

9 January 2026 Central Bank News
ECB’s de Guindos: Rates Appropriate, Policy to Adjust if Change in Conditions Warrants

ECB’s de Guindos: Rates Appropriate, Policy to Adjust if Change in Conditions Warrants

By Marta Vilar – MADRID (Econostream) – European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said on Thursday that the current level of interest rates is appropriate, adding that unexpected developments were taking place and the ECB’s monetary policy stance would adjust should circumstances change enough to warrant it.

8 January 2026 Central Bank News
Bank of Slovenia Deputy Governor Dolenc Proposed as Governor

Bank of Slovenia Deputy Governor Dolenc Proposed as Governor

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – Slovenia’s President Nataša Pirc Musar on Wednesday nominated Banka Slovenije Deputy Governor Primož Dolenc to become governor of the central bank, a post that carries a seat on the European Central Bank’s Governing Council.

7 January 2026 Central Bank News