Economy

ECB vs inflation
Sources: ECB ready to raise interest rates at next meeting

The ECB is ready to raise interest rates at the next meeting in April if it turns out that the Iran war will cause inflation to rise, according to sources to Bloomberg.

The central bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday but at the same time raised its inflation forecast slightly. Inflation in Europe is now expected to rise to 2.6 percent in 2026. 

Swedish interest rates
Thedéen: Then we can lower and raise the policy rate

The war in the Middle East makes it extra difficult for the Riksbank to give a reliable forecast going forward.

According to the main scenario, the war will only have moderate effects on inflation and the recovery in the Swedish economy. For now, the current interest rate of 1.75 percent is seen as a good level.

But if the war leads to a more lasting inflationary upswing, the bank is prepared to raise the interest rate, even though it would lead to lower economic activity. But it could also go the other way. The bank also sees a risk of negative effects on demand, while inflationary pressure weakens. In that case, the interest rate may need to be lowered to raise demand.

"In addition to the war in the Middle East, there are also several other risks and the range of outcomes for what can happen in the future is large," the Riksbank writes in a press release.

Election in Denmark
Wealth tax hot issue ahead of the Danish election

The issue of wealth tax dominates the debate in Denmark ahead of the election on Tuesday, writes DI.

The Social Democrats propose that wealth over 25 million Danish kroner should be taxed at 0.5 percent per year. The party estimates that this could generate around 6.5 billion Danish kroner annually, writes DI.

The trade union Danish Industry is critical.

– Those affected have founded over 13,000 companies in the past 20 years, says Morten Granzau Nielsen, deputy CEO, to DI.

Ikea notice
Ikea gives notice – 625 jobs in Sweden are affected

Furniture giant Ikea is giving notice to staff, writes Dagens Industri. A total of 945 jobs are affected, of which 625 jobs are in Sweden.

– It is about streamlining and that certain roles will disappear, says Ikea's press manager Fredrik Norrlid in a comment.

It is mainly employees at the Hubhult office in Malmö who are affected, as well as certain jobs in Helsingborg. 145 employees within Ikea's Swedish department store company are also being given notice of termination, most of whom are in the part of the organization that is aimed at corporate customers. This is what DI writes.