According to preliminary Eurostat estimates cited by Trading Economics, annual inflation in the eurozone surged for the sixth straight month in December to a record high of 5 percent. Inflation last dipped in June, when it dropped to 1.9 percent from 2 percent in May. “We view these figures with some concern, as they are higher than we initially expected,” Isabel Schnabel, member of the Executive Board of the ECB, commented in a recent interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung. The official also acknowledged that many individuals in Europe are concerned about the decline in real salaries and interest income. Nonetheless, Schnabel made it plain that the European Central Bank is not yet ready to hike interest rates in the eurozone, citing estimates that the global pandemic’s price spike will be followed by a ‘marked decrease.’ The banker also indicated that the ECB should avoid suffocating the recovery, saying: “In our predictions, medium-term inflation will even fall below our objective of 2 percent, even if we accept that the projections are currently subject to great uncertainty.” European Central Bank to Act if Inflation Settles Above 2% The ECB executive body’s spokesman also stated that the euro zone’s central bank ‘would act promptly and aggressively if we determine that inflation may stabilize over 2 percent.’ She stated that ending net asset purchases is a prerequisite for raising rates. The decision by the ECB’s Governing Cou...
