France
France's Noyer on monetary union in Europe
In the speech 'From Maastricht to the present and beyond' given on 16 April Christian Noyer of the Bank of France said monetary union in Europe is well grounded, both on its technical and political pillars.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on modernising payments
In the speech 'Modernising payments: 'no pain - no gain'' given on 4 May Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said Europe has already made significant progress on modernising the payment industry, with the SEPA project constituting a key driver for change.
France's Sarkozy redesigns BoE decision making
French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy seemed to be a little out of date when discussing the Bank of England's monetary policy decision making last week on French television.
Trichet backing ECB against meddling
Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank rejected French presidential candidates' criticism of the eurozone central bank, insisting in an article published Sunday 29 April that the majority of French citizens support the bank's actions.
Hedge funds pose financial stability risks - Noyer
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer said in a speech at a Bundesbank conference Friday 27 April financial innovation is partly to blame for the unstable growth in eurozone M3 money supply.
US's Paulson sees progress on trade imbalances
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in a statement the Group of Seven (G7) nations have made progress but "more needs to be done" on trade imbalances.
Noyer says hedge funds may raise abuse risk
European Central Bank Governing Council member Christian Noyer said in a report released on Monday 16 April that hedge funds add to market efficiency but can increase the risk of market abuse.
France's Redouin on risks
In the speech 'Risks may be transferred, but they do not disappear!' given on 29 March Jean-Paul Redouin of the Bank of France said we should not forget that the current financial system is multidimensional and closely interlinked.
Sarkozy wants `real conversation' with ECB
French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters Monday 2 April he wants a "real conversation" with the European Central Bank on monetary policy, seeking a weaker euro currency to increase competitiveness.
EU's Almunia says stop attacking ECB
EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Monday 26 March in an article that French politicians should stop attacking the euro and the European Central Bank.
Bank of France attacks ECB strategy
According to this article from The Daily Telegraph, published Friday 9 March, the ECB has received an unprecedented attack on the "reliability" of its strategy by the Bank of France and a barrage of attacks by French leaders.
Tumpel-Gugerell on tripartite protocol
In a speech given on 16 February Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said over the next six months, the ECB and eight central banks will be working closely with the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina on a needs assessment programme funded by the…
Zalm says French on their own over ECB
Outgoing Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm said in an interview published Wednesday 14 February that no other eurozone countries share France's wish for politicians to exercise more control over the European Central Bank.
Germany's Steinbrueck backs ECB's independence
German finance minister Peer Steinbrueck said Wednesday 7 February that the independence of the European Central Bank, which has received criticism from some French politicians, must be respected.
Germany's Steinbrueck defends 'sacrosanct' ECB
German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck insisted Tuesday 30 January that European Central Bank independence was "sacrosanct" amid calls from some politicians for a more accountable ECB.
ECB won't tolerate being a political football
According to this article from Reuters, published Wednesday 24 January, the European Central Bank has mounted its strongest defence so far against recent attacks on its independence from politicians.
Noyer says no conflict on price stability, growth
Bank of France governor and ECB governing council member Christian Noyer told the Liberation newspaper on Tuesday 23 January current monetary conditions are favourable for growth and there is no conflict between price stability and economic growth.
Bini Smaghi says ECB rate may rise further
ECB board member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi told La Repubblica in an interview published Tuesday 23 January that the ECB's rate is "still accommodating" and may have to rise further if growth expectations are confirmed to avoid excess liquidity.
Merkel worried by debate on ECB independence
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out on economic issues in an interview Saturday 13 January, defending the independence of the European Central Bank against euro critics and calling for closer ties with the US.
Germany's Steinbrueck defends ECB independence
Germany said Thursday 11 January it would not put up with any change in the independence of the European Central Bank.
Bank of Slovenia joins Central Bank Gold Agreement
The central bank of Slovenia has joined the Central Bank Gold Agreement which limits gold sales by central banks, the European Central Bank said Friday 22 December.
Spain says ECB 'independent and professional'
Spanish economy minister Pedro Solbes told Reuters on Wednesday 20 December Spain supports the European Central Bank's policy and is in a different position to France.
Bank of France sees rebound in Q4
The French economy will bounce back in the last three months of 2006 after stalling in the third quarter, according to a Bank of France survey released on Wednesday 13 December.
Villepin wants clarification of ECB role
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called on Monday 12 December to "clarify the roles" of European Central Bank (ECB), amid talk regarding the recent high levels of the euro.