ECB’s Kazaks: Inflation dragon nearly defeated, rate cuts on horizon

ECB Governing Council member Martins Kazaks likened the fight against inflation to battling a dragon, stating in a blog post, “The dragon of inflation is pinned to the ground, a little more and it will be defeated.” This vivid metaphor reflects a growing confidence within ECB that the persistent inflationary pressures which have challenged Eurozone economy are finally coming under control.

Kazaks further suggested that “if the economy roughly follows” the bank’s forecasts, “then the decision to start reducing interest rates could be made within the next few meetings.”

Kazaks also acknowledged the delicate balance the ECB has had to maintain: the risk of premature rate cuts that could reignite inflation versus the risk of delaying rate reductions too long. However, he noted that these risks are now beginning to “level out,” there is “no need to delay the rate reduction too much”

Complementing Kazaks’s insights, ECB Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau told France Info radio, “We will probably cut rates in spring, and spring in Europe is from April to June 21.”

“It’s perhaps more probable in June — we are very pragmatic and will see depending on the data,” Villeroy added.