Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), explains the ECB's decision to leave the key interest rates unchanged in March and responds to questions from the press.

Key quotes

"The economy remains weak."

"Surveys point to a gradual recovery over the course of this year."

"Impact of past rate increases will gradually fade." 

"Demand for labour is slowing."

"Domestic price pressures are elevated."

"There are signs that growth in wages is starting to moderate."

"Inflation is expected to continue the downward trend in coming months." 

"Longer-term inflation expectations broadly stable around 2%."

"Risks to economic growth remain tilted to the downside."

About ECB's press conference

Following the ECB´s monetary policy decisions, the ECB President delivers a prepared statement and responds to questions from the press on the policy outlook. Her comments may influence the volatility of EUR and determine a short-term positive or negative trend. Her hawkish view is considered as positive, or bullish for the EUR, whereas her dovish view is considered as negative, or bearish.