In an interview with CNBC today, ECB President Christine Lagarde expressed cautious optimism about the ongoing disinflationary trends, noting that disinflation is aligning with ECB’s forecasts.

Lagarde emphasized the need for ECB to gain “a bit more confidence” in the sustainability of these disinflationary trends before making any significant changes to its policy framework.

Looking ahead, Lagarde pointed out that barring any “major shock” in developments, ECB is poised to “moderate the restrictive monetary policy.”

ECB Governing Council member Olli Rehn highlighted in a statement that reduction in policy restrictions could commence in June as long as “inflation continues to fall as projected.”

But he also addressed the predominant risks, identifying “geopolitics” as the primary source of uncertainty. He specifically pointed to the “deteriorating situation in Ukraine” and the “possible escalation of the Middle East conflict” as critical factors with potential ramifications on the European economy, especially concerning energy prices and overall economic stability.

Looking ahead to ECB’s June meeting, the council will review an “updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation, and the strength of monetary policy transmission.”

This upcoming analysis will be crucial in determining whether ECB has sufficient confidence that inflation is sustainably converging towards its target, leading to a decision to “start to ease the stance of monetary policy and cut interest rates.”

However, Rehn cautioned that this prospective easing is conditional on the absence of “further setbacks, for instance in the geopolitical situation and therefore in energy prices.”

ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane described disinflation process as “necessarily bumpy” at the current phase. In a speech, he pointed out that headline inflation is expected to “fluctuate around current levels in the near term,” influenced by base effects in energy sector and recent reversal of service inflation spikes caused by the early timing of Easter.

Meanwhile, Lane noting that while wage pressures are “gradually moderating,” they remain above what would be considered normal or steady-state levels. He emphasized that achieving ECB’s inflation target involves not just controlling wage growth but also managing profit margins across the economy.

Looking ahead to June Governing Council meeting, Lane indicated that ECB’s decisions would be informed by “updated staff projections” and comprehensive data on wage and profit dynamics from the early months of the year. He suggested that if these updated assessments and data provide stronger confidence that inflation is converging to ECB’s targets, it could be “appropriate to reduce the current level of monetary policy restriction.”

Full speech of ECB Lane here.

ECB Governing Council member Peter Kazimir highlighted emphasized the importance of maintaining a flexible monetary policy stance beyond an initial rate reduction possibly in June. He underscored that the decision to lower rates in June should be viewed as a recalibration in response to improving economic conditions, rather than a firm commitment to continued easing.

“June is an opportunity to recalibrate our approach in light of improving economic conditions. Let’s be clear: We are not pre-committing to a definite path post-June,” Kazimir stated.

He elaborated, “Even after the first rate cut, our monetary policy will remain restrictive; it needs to.”

Kazimir also addressed the broader implications of easing monetary policy, clarifying that “The notion of easing doesn’t imply a commitment to specific future cuts but rather an openness to respond in kind, should the economic data advocate for it.”

Moreover, Kazimir cautioned about the vulnerability of the economy to unexpected shocks, emphasizing the necessity for ECB to maintain its agility in policymaking.

ECB Governing Council member Gediminas Simkus forecasted three 25bps rate cuts for this year, with a potential for a fourth. “I see a higher than 50% chance there will be more than three cuts this year,” he told reporters.

Simkus also highlighted that the ECB might not stop at just one rate cut in June, stating, “I see a higher than zero chance that an interest rate cut may follow also in July. The July decision will be important in setting the trajectory.”

Regarding the pace and magnitude of these rate cuts, Simkus emphasized a cautious approach. He remarked that there is “no urgency to cut rates” by more than 25bps at a time, indicating he preference for gradual adjustments rather than larger, more aggressive cuts.