ECB policymakers line up behind upcoming rate cut

FRANKFURT, Mar 11 (Reuters): European Central Bank policymakers on Friday lined up in support of an interest rate cut in the coming months as inflation in the euro zone falls faster than they had anticipated.

Central bank governors from Germany, France, Finland and Lithuania all talked up the chances of the ECB lowering borrowing costs from record highs, firming up a hint dropped by ECB President Christine Lagarde on Thursday.

They only slightly differed about the timing of a first move.

"The probability is increasing that we could possibly see a rate cut before the summer break," Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel told German podcast Table Today.

His words carry particular weight because Nagel - as is historically the case for a Bundesbank president - has been among policy hawks urging against a hasty rate reduction.

The ECB has three meetings before its summer recess, on April 11, June 6 and July 18.

Banque de France head Francois Villeroy de Galhau, a centrist, said a rate cut should happen in the spring, which he added was "from April until June 21".