MNI BRIEF:Leave All Options On Table For ECB Dec Meet-Makhlouf

There should be no options off the table when ECB policymakers meet in December, Irish central bank head Gabriel Makhlouf said Wednesday, refusing to rule out a rate hike.

"December is a pretty significant month so we need to keep all the options on the table and not rule things out prematurely,” Makhlouf told reporters at a Central Bank of Ireland event in Dublin, adding that the decision will be based on incoming data,

"I'm not ruling out with what we are seeing on wages, what we are seeing on employment -- the things that we focus on -- that might push us to make a decision to move, rather than stay where we are," he said. "We live in very uncertain times and we are very committed to achive our target of reducing inflation to 2% in the medium term.”

Makhlouf also expressed confidence the European Union would agree on new fiscal rules before the end of the year, though he added that it would be concerning if this did not occur. (See MNI: Hopes Rise In Dash For EU Fiscal Rule Deal By Year End)

"The tradition in Europe is that negotiations continue and an agreement is reached at the very last minute. Until we go past the last minute, I remain confident that the political system will reach an agreement," he said.