Markets & Finance · Intelligence
—The decision. On June 11, 2026, the European Central Bank raised its key rate by a quarter point to 2.25%, its first increase since 2023.
—Not an insurance move. Bank president Christine Lagarde refused to call it a one-off precaution, framing it instead as a genuine shift against stubborn inflation.
—Prices still rising. Euro-area inflation quickened to 3.2% in May, well above the bank’s two per cent goal, with service prices climbing faster still.
—Growth downgraded. At the same meeting the bank cut its growth forecast for the year to just 0.8%, a barely-moving economy.
