European Central Bank’s Kazimir Says More Policy Action Needed After First Rate Hike

European Central Bank Governing Council member Peter Kazimir said the ECB had taken an initial step to curb price pressures but needed to do more. According to Jin10, Kazimir said the ECB raised interest rates last Thursday for the first time in nearly three years, aiming to contain inflation before a surge in energy costs triggered by a U.S.-Israel war against Iran spread further across the euro zone. In an article, Kazimir wrote that it was not a time for complacency or hesitation, adding that higher energy costs were likely to persist longer than many had hoped. He said that even though the United States and Iran had just announced a peace framework agreement, the damage caused in the Middle East could not be undone overnight. Kazimir said that if the ECB did not act, second-round effects from rising energy prices would emerge. He added that while the ECB had taken a first step to restrain medium-term price pressures, the task was not finished and, based on current information, it was becoming increasingly clear that monetary policy still had more work to do.