Vincent Stamer, an analyst at Deutsche Commerzbank's research department, wrote in the report that the Eurozone inflation rate seems unlikely to fall below the ECB's target in the first half of this year. Eurozone inflation rose again in December, rising to 2.4% from 2.2% last month. The core inflation rate remained stable, while energy and food prices fueled the rise in the rate. These trends suggest that the inflation rate for the first six months of 2025 is unlikely to fall below the ECB's 2% target. In recent months, some ECB interest rate makers have warned that with the Eurozone recession and the emergence of new global risks, inflation is likely to fall short of the target.