German inflation dipped in five states in November, suggesting cost pressures eased in Europe's largest economy - a welcome development for the European Central Bank but unlikely to weaken its resolve to tame prices.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, annual inflation slowed this month to 10.4% from 11.0% in October. Inflation also eased slightly in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg and Hesse.
Her comments, along with remarks by Dutch central bank chief Klaas Knot earlier, were likely to dampen speculation that the European Central Bank was about to take a gentler path with future rate increases.
The ECB has increased its rate on bank deposits by a record 200 basis points to 1.5% in three months to dampen demand in a bid to lower price growth.
Preliminary pan-German November data is due at 1300 GMT.
A Reuters poll of economists pointed to national inflation, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, easing to 11.3% in November from 11.6% in October.
