ECB rate hike had 'solid majority' but not unanimous: Lagarde

$President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde counts on her fingers during a press conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on September 14, 2023. The European Central Bank on September 14, 2023 said eurozone inflation was expected \"to remain too high for too long\" as it raised its inflation forecast for this and next year but lowered it for 2025.The ECB sees inflation reaching 5.6 percent in 2023, 3.2 percent in 2024 before easing to 2.1 percent in 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) / ALTERNATIVE CROP , Agence France-Presse (AFP)/AFP$

President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde counts on her fingers during a press conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on September 14, 2023. The European Central Bank on September 14, 2023 said eurozone inflation was expected "to remain too high for too long" as it raised its inflation forecast for this and next year but lowered it for 2025.The ECB sees inflation reaching 5.6 percent in 2023, 3.2 percent in 2024 before easing to 2.1 percent in 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) / ALTERNATIVE CROP
Agence France-Presse (AFP)/AFP

"Some governors would have preferred to pause," Lagarde told reporters after announcing the latest quarter-point hike.

Staff Writer, Agence France-Presse (AFP)

September 14, 2023

PHOTO
President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde counts on her fingers during a press conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on September 14, 2023. The European Central Bank on September 14, 2023 said eurozone inflation was expected "to remain too high for too long" as it raised its inflation forecast for this and next year but lowered it for 2025.The ECB sees inflation reaching 5.6 percent in 2023, 3.2 percent in 2024 before easing to 2.1 percent in 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) / ALTERNATIVE CROP

The European Central Bank's decision to hike interest rates again was supported by a "solid majority" of governing council members, president Christine Lagarde said Thursday, even though some members wanted to pause rates.

"Some governors would have preferred to pause," Lagarde told reporters after announcing the latest quarter-point hike.

"But I can tell you that there was a solid majority of the governors to agree with the decision that we have made."