New European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that inflation should remain in line with the central bank's definition of price stability over its policy relevant horizon, even after its decision to cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage point.


Still, he said that "inflation has remained elevated" and is likely to remain above 2% for "some months to come", but is expected to fall below that threshold in the course of 2012.


After the decision, inflation however, "should remain in line with price stability over the monetary policy horizon," he said.


The central bank aims to have inflation just below 2% over the medium term. The ECB shocked markets earlier Thursday by cutting interest rates by 0.25 point.


Mr. Draghi took over from Jean-Claude Trichet on Nov. 1, when the latter's non-renewable, eight-year term concluded.

[ do "the wall street journal", foto da "reuters" ]