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Business

ECB invites Europeans to vote on future banknotes as deadline nears

The European Central Bank is inviting people across Europe to vote on the designs for future euro banknotes before its public survey closes on 21 September.

15 September 2026

Economy

How the ECB rate hike will affect mortgage borrowers

The ECB’s decision was largely priced in before it was announced, but mortgage rates could rise further across the eurozone’s biggest economies as banks respond to persistent inflation and elevated market rates.

12 September 2026

Economy

Can the ECB rate hike stop an inflation shock driven by energy costs?

The ECB is raising borrowing costs to stop expensive energy from fuelling lasting inflation. Economists disagree on how far rates must rise and how much growth could suffer.

11 September 2026

Economy

ECB raises rates to 2.5% as energy costs bite

The European Central Bank has raised interest rates by a quarter point, lifting its deposit rate to 2.5%, as the energy shock driven by the Iran war pushes eurozone inflation higher and forces a second hike in three months.

10 September 2026

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Economy

An ECB rate hike is all but certain, the reasoning less so

The European Central Bank is all but certain to raise interest rates on Thursday, with investors pricing the move at near-total probability, but the decision is more awkward than the numbers suggest as inflation is being driven almost entirely by energy with underlying pressures actually easing.

9 September 2026

Business

Exclusive: Italy proposes no fees for digital euro payments under €10

Italy suggests exempting smaller merchant fees for payments under €10, a measure backed by the central banking community, as final talks take place in Brussels over the rollout of the digital euro.

8 September 2026

Europe News

Could an EU custodian break the long deadlock on the Russian assets?

The debate on Russian money held in Belgium has returned. Could an EU custodian convince Belgium and break the political deadlock?

5 September 2026

Business

ECB rate hike looms as energy shock pushes inflation to 3.3%

With eurozone inflation at 3.3% and energy costs surging, markets are pricing in another ECB rate rise on 10 September. ECB economists say this energy-driven episode looks nothing like the demand-fuelled surge of 2021-22.

2 September 2026

Markets

European government bond yields surge to 15-year highs as sell-off deepens

A global bond sell-off has hit European debt markets, reflecting concerns about inflation, budget deficits and government debt.

1 September 2026

Economy

Energy price surge pushes eurozone inflation to three-year high

Eurozone inflation rose sharply in August, as energy prices climbed by more than 14% compared with a year earlier, according to Eurostat.

1 September 2026

Economy

German inflation rises to 2.9% in August, coming in below expectations

Inflation in Germany rose 2.9% in the year to August on the harmonised measure tracked by the European Central Bank, a fresh acceleration from July but well short of the 3.1% economists had expected, in a reading that offers modest relief to policymakers meeting in Frankfurt next week.

Europe News

ECB head Christine Lagarde 'ready to serve' WEF, report says

The World Economic Forum is currently co-chaired by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and André Hoffmann, the vice chairman of Roche.

Europe News

Fix market fragmentation or miss the AI train, Lagarde warns the EU

An overly fragmented single market cannot support Europe’s top priority of competing globally in the AI race, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde warns.

Business

The ECB's new banknotes send a clear message: Cash isn't going away

With cashless payments on the rise, and a growing belief that cash is being replaced by the digital euro, the European Central Bank (ECB) is introducing new banknotes carrying a clear message to citizens: cash is here to stay.

Markets

European borrowing costs hit record highs on Iran war inflation fears

European government bonds came under significant selling pressure on Tuesday, with France’s 10-year bond yield hitting a 17-year high and Germany’s 10-year Bund yield reaching its highest level since 2011.

Business

Financial sovereignty, digital euro and payment roaming: EU seeks alternatives to US cards

From the digital euro to private interoperability and Brazil's PIX, the race for sovereignty is on, but the real test is securing payment autonomy at home and abroad.

Business

Opera icons or birds? ECB invites Europeans to pick new euro banknotes

The ECB has unveiled ten finalist designs for future euro banknotes. The culture and nature themes feature Leonardo da Vinci, Maria Callas, Beethoven, Marie Curie and birds symbolising Europe's biodiversity.

Economy

ECB hostage to oil prices? Lagarde leaves door open for September hike

ECB President Christine Lagarde warned that surging oil prices could shape the September rate decision, leaving the door open to another interest rate hike at the next meeting.

Economy

ECB holds rates at 2.25% as reignited Iran war boosts inflation fears

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday, pausing after June's first hike in three years as easing inflation bought policymakers time, while renewed fighting in the Middle East caused a new rise in energy prices, keeping another hike firmly on the table for autumn.

Economy

Spain backs Hernández de Cos in first-ever bid for the ECB presidency

The Spanish government has chosen Pablo Hernández de Cos, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements and former Bank of Spain governor, as its candidate to succeed Christine Lagarde at the ECB.