ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said the digital euro will provide essential infrastructure for retail payments and help the euro area achieve payment-processing self-sufficiency. He made the remarks Thursday, framing the project as a tool for sovereignty and resilience.
ECB President Christine Lagarde said the technical and preparatory work for a digital euro is complete and urged lawmakers to move quickly amid rising concern over global stablecoins. The appeal comes after the ECB's recent rate pause and frames the digital euro as a strategic priority.