German statistics office Destatis said in its first reading since the dissolution of the German government at the end of last month that Germany’s inflation rate jumped to a higher-than-expected 2.9% in December.

The preliminary euro zone consumer price index published on Monday was harmonized across the euro zone to achieve comparability. That compared with 2.6% forecast by analysts polled by Reuters.

Destatis said the unified consumer price index rose 0.7% month-on-month.

December was the third consecutive month that German inflation returned to above the European Central Bank’s 2% target. index fell to 1.8% in Septemberthen jump back to Growth in October was 2.4% and there is no change at that level November.

So-called core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, rose to 3.1% in December from 3% the previous month. Service sector inflation also rose, to 4.1% from 4% in November, according to the Bureau of Statistics.

The latest data comes amid political uncertainty in Germany and is one of the last key economic data before federal elections scheduled for February 23.

Germany’s current governing coalition broke up in Novemberthen Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired former Finance Minister Christian Lindner and announced he would call early elections.

Since then, the country has been taking a series of constitutional steps to clear the way for the polls, including Voting signals loss of confidence in Scholz and German lower house of parliament formally dissolved Presented by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

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