Euro Central Bank immersed in drafting the ECB's annual assessment of the euro zone's economic status.

In the financial world, the name on everyone's lips is Eric Lombard, the French Finance Minister. On Thursday, Lombard reassured investors about the stability of France's government and economy.

Lombard stated that French companies are doing well, and there are no difficulties in financing the French economy. He also reaffirmed the goal of reducing the public deficit to 5.4% of GDP by the end of the year, a figure more than what the European debt rules allow.

Meanwhile, European stock markets showed little movement on Thursday, with indices trading in tight ranges and closing near levels seen the previous day. The Euro Stoxx 50 Index was up 0.1%, while the German DAX index ended the day at 24,040 points, essentially at the previous day's level.

The focus of market participants, however, was on the minutes of the latest meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB). The minutes indicated that European central bankers found a cautious stance on interest rates to be a "robust approach" to managing shocks and inflation risks.

For most central bankers, the risks to the inflation outlook are broadly balanced. However, there were dissenting voices at the interest rate meeting, with some central bankers pointing to the risk that inflation in the euro area could turn out lower than the ECB's June projections.

One factor that could contribute to lower inflation is a strong euro and the possibility that countries might redirect more exports to the eurozone due to trade tensions with the US. Some central bankers also noted that the medium-term risk was rather one of too high inflation, linked to volatile energy prices and exchange rates that could easily reverse.

In other news, the prospect of a takeover of ProSiebenSat.1 boosted MFE-MediaForEurope's shares. PPF, the Czech major shareholder of ProSieben, announced its exit from ProSieben, clearing the way for MFE to take over. As a result, MFE-MediaForEurope's stocks rose significantly on the Milan stock exchange.

Moreover, the value of MFE's offer for ProSieben will be higher due to the price increase at MFE. This development is expected to further strengthen MFE's position in the media industry.

In summary, while there are uncertainties in the global financial market, Eric Lombard does not see a financial crisis for France. He reassured investors about the stability of the French economy and government, and reaffirmed the government's commitment to reducing the public deficit. European central bankers, on the other hand, are taking a cautious approach to managing inflation risks, acknowledging the risks of both lower and higher inflation.

Euro Central Bank immersed in drafting the ECB's annual assessment of the euro zone's economic status.