ECB ready to intervene again if necessary, says Kazimir

The European Central Bank is satisfied with the inflation outlook in the euro zone but is ready to intervene again if necessary, its policy chief Peter Kazimir said on Monday.

He joined a host of central bank governors from all corners of the 20-nation bloc in warning of risks to benign projections released by the ECB on Thursday as it kept interest rates steady for a fourth consecutive meeting.

“The coming year will likely bring new challenges that households, businesses and our monetary policy will have to respond to,” Kazimir, governor of the Slovak central bank, said in an opinion article.

“We remain flexible and ready to intervene if future developments justify further measures,” he added.

Kazimir said the eurozone’s economic foundations “exhibit cracks” that other monetary policymakers should address through structural reforms integrating European capital markets and “reducing the bureaucratic burden” on businesses.