On 1 January 1999, the euro was introduced as book money. Three years later, people in Germany and eleven other European countries got their hands on euro banknotes and coins for the first time. Today, twenty-five years later, the euro is legal tender in twenty countries and has become an indispensable part of Europeans’ everyday lives. 

Die Bundesbank führt vierteljährlich die Umfrage zum Kreditgeschäft der Banken (Bank Lending Survey, BLS) durch. In den Ergebnissen für 2023 wird deutlich, dass die geldpolitische Straffung ihre intendierte Wirkung entfaltete, was sich in strengeren Kreditrichtlinien und rückläufiger Kreditnachfrage äußerte. Außerdem beeinflussen klimabedingte Risiken zunehmend die Kreditangebotspolitik der Banken. 

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.