Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €9.6 billion in May 2025, virtually half the level seen in the preceding month. This was mainly attributable to the swing to a deficit in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income. There was also a somewhat smaller surplus in goods trading. 

Monetary policy must be reliable, but policymakers must not overly restrict its flexibility, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said at the 10th Bundesbank IAW Lecture in Tübingen. In his speech, Nagel addressed the ECB’s original monetary policy strategy, which has undergone significant reviews. 

As part of the Bundesbank Invited Speakers Series (BISS), Hiroshi Nakaso, Chairman of the Daiwa Institute of Research and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan, delivered a keynote speech at the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse. Under the title “Germany and Japan 2.0 – Addressing Common Challenges at a Global Inflection Point”, the event brought together perspectives on economic developments in two of the world’s largest industrial economies.