The European Central Bank will likely need to raise interest rates at the upcoming June meeting amid a "much more persistent" inflation shock, according to ECB executive board member Isabel Schnabel.
"The shock is working its way through the economy and is shifting inflation away from our target over a significant period of time. Even if the war ended today, a lot of damage has already been done to energy infrastructure and global supply chains. So, even then, I believe that a monetary policy reaction would be needed," Schnabel told Reuters in an interview published Tuesday.
As headline inflation in the euro area hit 3% and is projected to climb toward 4% by the end of 2026, Schnabel added that "looking through is no longer an option in my view." However, she maintained that the central bank remains "strictly data dependent" and will avoid pre-committing to a specific policy path past June.