Germany
IMF laments lack of progress on global imbalances
Fund calls on both surplus and deficit economies to redress imbalances, arguing this would support global demand management and growth
Bundesbank paper tracks causes of financial crisis balance sheet contraction
Working paper identifies characteristics and behaviour that had a dampening effect on German banks during the 2008 crisis, noting the importance of taking a nuanced view
European leaders strike Greek deal but hurdles remain
All-night session ends in Greece agreeing to a tough reform package, but finance ministers continue to debate possible bridge financing and national parliaments must still give green light
Weidmann does not see case for higher inflation targets
The Deutsche Bundesbank president points to welfare costs of higher inflation target, and argues in favour of structural reforms that boost productivity and deliver higher trend growth
Greece asks for three-year ESM bailout as Tsipras tries to unite Europe
Government submits request for longer support programme than previous proposals while Alexis Tsipras seeks backing during rowdy European Parliament session
IMF paper identifies countries that ‘pass through’ spillovers
Individual countries can amplify, absorb or block spillovers, depending on their economic and structural characteristics, researchers at the IMF find
ECB paper finds periphery most affected by credit shortage
Peripheral economies appear to suffer a greater slowdown of productivity than their northern neighbours when facing a squeeze on credit, research published by the ECB finds
Schäuble says Greek outcome now '50-50'
German finance minister warns against losing the ‘remaining credibility’ of the monetary union in speech in Frankfurt; debt negotiations finely poised with IMF deadline looming
Weidmann warns Greek ELA could raise ‘serious monetary financing concerns’
Bundesbank president says the ongoing provision of emergency funds to Greek banks will be a problem if the cash is used to buy sovereign debt
German life insurers vulnerable to interest rate shock, research warns
Discussion paper finds life insurers could have experienced a policyholder run in 2013 if interest rates had risen 2.1 percentage points; says QE might make it hard for insurers to protect themselves
German inequality would fall with US-style home ownership, Bundesbank study shows
Discussion paper fits US home ownership structure to German economy, finding large changes in the distribution and median level of wealth
Weidmann sees bond reversal as ‘a kind of re-normalisation’
Bundesbank president argues sell-off is a ‘correction of market overshooting’ in the wake of ECB asset purchases; insists volatility is ‘not exceptionally high’ at present
Draghi warns high volatility here to stay
Government bond yields continue to climb as Draghi says ‘we should get used to periods of higher volatility’ with interest rates on the floor; ECB keeps policy unchanged
Outlook brightens for eurozone SME financing, ECB reports
Report shows access to financing improved over the most recent period surveyed, but the very smallest firms are still struggling and outcomes are diverse across countries
Greek governor wants surplus countries to recognise ‘toxic’ effect of austerity
Yannis Stournaras warns surplus countries must bear a share of the burden of adjustment in Europe or risk the rise of extreme political parties; says he is optimistic a deal is ‘not far away’
Deutsche Börse to set up Europe's first multi-asset RMB platform
German exchange group signs joint venture deal with CFFEX and Shanghai Stock Exchange to bring trading venue to Frankfurt
Czech director: US dollar helps compensate for impact of oil prices on CEE countries
Luboš Komárek discusses the outlook for Central and Eastern European countries, including the favourable outlook for Germany, which is a "crucial trade partner" for many in the region
Protestors clash with police as ECB opens new premises
Demonstrations organised to coincide with inauguration of new ECB building lead to outbreaks of violence; Draghi calls for economics and politics of integration to be ‘reconciled’
IMF researchers add eurozone detail to fund’s global projection model
Working paper adds ‘blocks’ for Germany, France, Italy and Spain to the model in an effort to capture the dynamics in the eurozone in greater detail
Book notes: European Spring, by Philippe Legrain
Ambitious and accessible, this book's take on events is provocative and its alternative insights warrant reflection
Carney calls on eurozone members to share fiscal burden
Bank of England governor takes stand on contentious debate, arguing ‘timidity' of European leaders who ‘do not currently foresee fiscal union as part of monetary union' is costly
Summers takes Germany to task over attitude towards debt
Speaking in London, former US treasury secretary says there is need to move beyond 'Calvinist idea' that debt is bad; questions impact of QE, macro-prudential policies
Bundesbank paper: German banks use specific loan loss provisions counter-cyclically
Banks increase level of loan loss provisions during upswings and decrease them during downturns, authors find; contrasts with results from other countries
Legal opinion opens door for ECB bond-buying programme
Adviser to ECJ deems OMTs ‘compatible’ with European law in a move described as an ‘overwhelming success’ for ECB; could nonetheless restrict central bank's role in Troika