ECB Governing Council Member: ECB Interest Rate Cycle Nears Its End

Jinse Finance reported that Martin Kocher, the new Governor of the Austrian Central Bank and a member of the European Central Bank's Governing Council, stated in an interview that if there are no major shocks, the European Central Bank can temporarily keep interest rates at 2%. "At present, this interest rate cycle has ended, or is very close to ending," Kocher said. This Thursday, the European Central Bank decided for the second consecutive meeting to keep interest rates unchanged at 2%. Kocher said that "if the data does not change significantly," the rationale for this month's decision will to some extent "continue to hold in the next few ECB meetings." When asked about his personal stance, Kocher said that he currently "tends to remain cautious in monetary policy" and advised against taking excessive risks on inflation issues.