Merz Set for Pre-Rate Meeting with ECB Officials in Berlin

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet European Central Bank officials next week in Berlin. The meeting coincides with an interest-rate decision that will be made by the ECB during their two-day monetary-policy meeting in the German capital.

Merz will join the Bundesbank's official dinner on Tuesday before the ECB's meeting, according to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified discussing plans yet to be announced.

The interest-rate decision comes as there is growing speculation over President Christine Lagarde's future. The exact nature of Merz's discussion with the ECB officials remains unclear, but it may indicate a desire by German authorities to shape monetary policy.