French Minister for Economy, Finance, Industry and Digital Security Bruno Le Maire looks on during a French president's visit to the Eurosatory land and airland defence and security trade fair, at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Villepinte, north of Paris, on June 13, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

France's finance minister on Wednesday urged the European Central Bank to ensure that its coming monetary tightening is "progressive" rather than sudden.

Speaking after ECB policymakers called an emergency meeting, only a week after flagging higher interest rates, Bruno Le Maire said: "We don't want any brutality, we don't want any decision that would take economic actors by surprise."