MADRID, 19 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The vice president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Luis de Guindos, has described as "reasonable" that governments adopt measures to try to alleviate the impact on the cost of mortgages of interest rate rises in a situation of economic slowdown such as the actual.

In an informative breakfast, organized by the New Economy Forum, the former Spanish Minister of Economy recalled that the mortgage situation varies greatly in Europe between variable and fixed rates.

"I think it is reasonable to try to alleviate the cost of the interest rate hike in a situation of slowdown in GDP and high inflation like the current one," said the ECB vice-president, stressing that he considers it "reasonable to use the Code of Good Practices."

On the other hand, questioned about the recent opinion of the ECB on the bank tax in Spain, the vice president of the issuing institute of the euro zone has expressed his "enormous respect" for institutions, such as the Government, and has stressed that it is of a technical report that is not binding. "It is a report from the ECB, not from Luis de Guindos", he has added.