Key interest rates were raised by 25 basis points to 2.50%. This was triggered by trends in energy prices: Inflation in the eurozone stood at 3.3%, with energy alone at 14.3% compared to the previous year.
Noteworthy is the countertrend within this figure: core inflation fell to 2.4%, while services fell to 3.0%. So far, the surge in prices has thus remained largely limited to energy and has not (yet) spread broadly across the economy.
The ECB justifies its move by stating that inflation will remain “well above target for an extended period.”
Overall, the move reflects a central bank responding to a supply shock, even as its own core indicators are normalizing.
Sources:
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.mp260910~314e508016.de.html
