Prof. Dr. Axel A. Weber, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Challenges for monetary policy in the financial crisis

Writing in its latest Annual Economic Report, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned that the global economy risks entering a new era of high inflation. “The key for central banks is to act quickly and decisively before inflation becomes entrenched,” says Agustín Carstens, General Manager of the BIS.

Professor Dr. Axel A. Weber, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Speech at the Norges Bank Conference on Monetary Policy

In the final quarter of 2022, real gross domestic product is likely to have more or less stagnated, and thus exceeded previous expectations,” the Monthly Report states. Although high inflation and uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine weighed on the economy, the situation in the energy markets eased markedly compared with the third quarter. This, coupled with the government covering advance payments for gas bills, led to a distinct weakening in consumer price dynamics in December. However, prices for non-energy components such as food and industrial goods continued to increase sharply, according to the report.

The Bundesbank celebrates its 55th birthday on 1 August and continues to stand for an exceptionally strong orientation to stability. We discussed the highs and lows of this era with Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann and former Bundesbank President Helmut Schlesinger, who has been following the Bank’s fortunes since its beginning. The interview was conducted on 29 June 2012, shortly after the Brussels EU summit had cleared the way for a European banking union.