Gabriel Makhlouf said the European Central Bank could raise rates in October if conditions require it. According to Sina Finance, the ECB Governing Council member said policymakers will decide borrowing costs based on actual conditions, and he did not rule out any policy option at future meetings.
Makhlouf said the ECB's meetings are dynamic in periods of uncertainty and that no action can be ruled out in advance. He also said market expectations may not be right and that current data have not yet reached the ECB's desired level.
According to Sina Finance, people familiar with the matter said policymakers believed another rate hike could come as early as October after this month's rate decision, while economists generally see the December meeting as more likely to bring action. Makhlouf made the remarks in Dublin before a meeting of European finance ministers and central bank governors.