Gate News message: On March 31, Claus Vistesen of Panthson Macro said in a report that the European Central Bank could raise interest rates in the coming months. Data show that overall inflation in the euro area rose to 2.5% in March, and it is expected to continue rising in the short term; inflation is expected to remain in the 2.5% to 3.0% range this year and next year. Panthson Macro expects the central bank to raise rates by 25 basis points in both June and July. Even so, given weak economic performance, rate cuts would still remain on the policy menu. The report said the European Central Bank will try to fine-tune policy rates around the upper limit of the range for the neutral interest-rate level (the interest rate level that neither stimulates nor suppresses economic growth), at around 2.5%, to strike a balance between the risk of upside inflation and the risk of the economy falling into a recession.