ECB's Demarco signals rate hikes likely as oil shock persists
Bank of Malta governor breaks with dovish colleagues to warn that even a ceasefire may not lower energy prices enough to avoid tightening at June meeting.
Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
Vice President of the European Central Bank, European Central Bank
Bank of Malta governor breaks with dovish colleagues to warn that even a ceasefire may not lower energy prices enough to avoid tightening at June meeting.
Eurozone finance ministers defied parliament and frontrunner expectations to back the Croatian central bank governor, reshaping the race for the ECB's top jobs over the next two years.
With Christine Lagarde due to step down in 2027, Madrid and Berlin, the eurozone's fourth and largest economies, are quietly manoeuvring for the first time to lead the central bank, while a Dutch dark horse lurks.
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