Lagarde uses ‘weak’ nine times as ECB pauses for first time since summer of 2022

The European Central Bank on Thursday paused on interest rates, after data showing inflation slowing down as worries about the economy abound.

President Christine Lagarde used variants of the word “weak” nine times in her opening comment, delivered from Athens, Greece, after the ECB held its deposit rate at 4%, its first pause since the summer of 2022. “The euro area economy remains weak,” Lagarde said.

She…