FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates at a record low of 0.75 percent on Thursday, refraining from a cut as the euro zone economy shows some signs of stabilising and inflation still tops its target.

The 17-country euro zone is in recession, but recent data points to some stabilisation, and ECB President Mario Draghi could strike a slightly more positive tone in the news conference that follows the rate decision.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The banker now in charge of rescuing the euro wants his top staff to take Sundays off. Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, eschews long meetings and refrains from lecturing his colleagues, senior ECB officials say.

Until Draghi took over a year ago, insiders say, the bank had a workaholic, micro-managed regime. But even as the Italian has proved ready to intervene in the markets and try policies that would have been unthinkable a few years ago, he has brought a freer, more hands-off culture to the bank.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The central banks of Germany and Austria on Friday forecast barely any economic growth in 2013, with the Bundesbank flagging risks of a recession in the euro zone’s biggest economy as the debt crisis hits the bloc’s core.

The Bundesbank expects Germany’s economy to grow just 0.4 percent next year, down from a June forecast of 1.6 percent. The new projection is marked by “a high degree of uncertainty”, it added, and “the balance of risks is on the downside”.

FRANKFURT, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Germany’s Bundesbank cut its
growth outlook for next year on Friday as the euro zone debt
crisis takes its toll on the bloc’s largest economy, but added
that the country would return to its growth path soon.

The move comes a day after the European Central Bank cut its
growth forecasts for next year pointing to weaker growth
prospects for the bloc’s core countries, such as Germany, France
and the Netherlands.

FRANKFURT, Dec 6 (Reuters) – The European Central Bank held
interest rates at a record low of 0.75 percent on Thursday,
leaving investors to shift their attention to new economic
forecasts for clues about possible cuts next year.

ECB President Mario Draghi is expected to present a downward
revision of the bank’s staff projections at his news conference,
due to start at 1330 GMT. The projections will also include the
first forecasts for 2014.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank is likely to keep interest rates on hold on Thursday but may offer clues on its policy path for next year with updated forecasts likely to present a grim outlook for the euro zone economy in 2013.

Since announcing a new bond-buying plan in September, the ECB has held off on further action until the program is activated.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Eastern European countries must make themselves more attractive to foreign investors by cutting red tape and enforcing rules consistently, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s president said on Friday.

Suma Chakrabarti told Reuters in an interview that with the worst problems in bank liquidity abating, there would be a shift by the bank toward helping the real economy instead of crisis maintenance in the financial sector.

FRANKFURT, Nov 23 (Reuters) – Eastern European countries
must make themselves more attractive to foreign investors by
cutting red tape and enforcing rules consistently, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s president said on
Friday.

Suma Chakrabarti told Reuters in an interview that with the
worst problems in bank liquidity abating, there would be a shift
by the bank toward helping the real economy instead of crisis
maintenance in the financial sector.

MANNHEIM, Germany (Reuters) – Morale among Germany’s analysts and investors sank in November as the crisis in the euro zone pounded its top economy, which looks increasingly at risk of joining the region’s periphery in recession.

Tuesday’s unexpectedly gloomy survey from the ZEW think tank followed a run of domestic data showing the private sector contracting, business sentiment plummeting, jobless rates rising and industrial orders dropping.