The president of the European Central Bank began by answering the question about what the institution might decide regarding interest rates as the war in the Middle East drags on in a typically diplomatic way: “I believe we all wish for the war to end quickly”. Christine Lagarde did not shy away from the question, but ended up satisfying...
Decision to freeze interest rates was unanimous, but debate over a possible hike was “long and deep”, says Lagarde
Thursday, 30 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Inflation measures how much general prices rise over time, usually reported year‑on‑year to compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) estimated January inflation at 1.9% year‑on‑year, down 0.3 percentage points from December, which affects rents, wages and everyday purchasing power for residents.
