France's central bank chief Francois Villeroy de Galhau has spoken out in favor of not raising the interest rate as much as last time at the next ECB meeting.
The European Central Bank (ECB) should hike rates by 50 basis points on December 15, the Frenchman told LCI on Sunday.
He thus strengthened expectations that the ECB will slow down the pace of monetary tightening.
The ECB raised interest rates by 75 basis points in September and October.
However, a slowdown in inflation in the euro area and more friendly signals from the US Federal Reserve recently made the arguments for an increase of just 0.5 percent more weighty.
Villeroy also said he expected further rate hikes after December 15.
He cannot say when the ECB will stop doing this.
He added that he expects inflation to peak in the first half of 2023 and then moderate.
In 2024 or 2025 the fight against inflation will then be won.
France and Europe would probably avoid a hard economic landing.
A recession is unlikely in the coming year.
ECB President Christine Lagarde said last week that the central bank was keeping all doors open for rate hikes in the fight against inflation.
How much further the ECB has to go and how quickly it has to get there depends on various factors.
These included the economic forecasts of the ECB economists, the depth of the economic crisis, the development of wages and inflation expectations.