Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has spoken out in favour of making the rules on debt more binding. "It would be helpful for the rules of the Stability Pact to be simplified," he said in a speech delivered in Freiburg. Furthermore, Mr Weidmann added, a more rigorous interpretation of the rules could be achieved by giving responsibility for fiscal surveillance to an independent authority instead of the European Commission.

In its Annual Economic Report, the Bank for International Settlements calls for structural reforms, fiscal policy and macroprudential measures to play a greater role in ensuring sustainable growth. The report states that “monetary policy cannot be the engine of economic growth”.

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann says that non-standard monetary policy measures can have a variety of effects on income and wealth distribution. “Much like conventional interest rate policy, the non-standard measures are more likely to have reduced income inequality,” he said in a speech in Hamburg.

The People’s Republic of China currently has severe economic problems to contend with. On top of that, relations between advanced economies in the West and China have worsened noticeably of late. These developments also present considerable risks for Germany. “If these risks materialise, Germany’s economy could take a huge hit,” the Bundesbank writes in an article in its January Monthly Report. The article explores Germany’s dependence on China, and is the first to also focus on potential risks to the financial system.