ECB Should Keep Steady Hand in Face of Shocks

European Central Bank (ECB) governing council member Mario Centeno speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 15, 2021. (Pedro Nunes/Reuters)

FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank should keep a steady hand rather than tighten its policy in the face of external shocks like scarce supply and the green transition, ECB policymaker Mario Centeno said in an article published on Wednesday.

“There are strong reasons for keeping a steady-hand,” Centeno, who is also Portugal’s central banker, said in the Eurofi magazine.

“Embarking in a generalized restrictive loop, when we face exogenous shocks, will not help the economy overcome these challenges,” he added.