ECB President Lagarde echoes statement; will follow the economic data in a meeting by meeting approach; is not pre-committing to a particular rate path

Lagarde's reiteration of a meeting-by-meeting approach suggests a flexible stance from the ECB, reflecting uncertainty in the economic outlook. With her emphasis on inflation risks being tilted to the upside while monitoring growth, it signals that upcoming data will be critical in determining policy direction, particularly given the potential impacts of geopolitical tensions on both inflation and economic growth.