The so-called Blessing letter, dated 30 March 1967, forms part of the correspondence between the President of the Deutsche Bundesbank at the time, Karl Blessing, and the then Chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, William Martin. Blessing addresses US concerns that the Bundesbank might convert US dollars into gold on a massive scale.

“The budgets of the state governments and their local governments shaped up very well in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic,” the Bundesbank writes in its Monthly Report. According to the publication, they recorded an overall surplus of €5 billion in 2021. Despite the favourable state of their finances, state governments made use of emergency borrowing totalling €18 billion under their respective debt brakes. Based on the Bundesbank’s calculations, a large part of these funds was used to top up reserves. It appears that budgetary developments will be favourable this year, too. The Bundesbank sees no need for further emergency borrowing. The positive financial situation will allow state governments to play a part in tackling the energy crisis.

According to the Bundesbank's latest Monthly Report, the first double-digit inflation rate in 70 years and a high degree of uncertainty about energy supply and its costs are weighing significantly on the German economy. In the forthcoming final quarter of 2022 and first quarter of 2023, economic output could therefore fall considerably and Germany be on the brink of a recession. However, the extent of this decline is extremely uncertain, according to the report.

Two areas which may at first seem like two distinct worlds – foreign policy and central banking – are, in fact, bound by a shared mission: the pursuit of stability and international cooperation, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said in New York, where he received a particularly prestigious award: the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) Medal. The FPA awarded this medal in recognition of Mr Nagel’s commitment to responsible international cooperation.

In 2024, Germany paid more to the European level than it received by around 0.4 % of its gross national income (€18 billion), as explained in the current edition of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report. It was thus one of ten Member States that made net contributions to the EU budget and the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) off-budget entity. It was not among the frontrunners, however, as it received significantly more NGEU grants than it did in previous years. Once every year, the Bundesbank calculates the net contributions to the EU budget and NGEU. In addition, the Monthly Report examines the European Commission’s proposal for the next multiannual financial framework.

Merchants are not just participants in the digital euro project – they are its driving force, said Executive Board member Burkhard Balz during an event in Brussels. Representatives from politics, business and trade discussed the opportunities and challenges presented by a digital euro during the conference entitled The digital €uro: a game changer for European merchants.

The Bundesbank is committed to ensuring that people can always pay whichever way they prefer – be it cash or cashless. In this context, the Bundesbank has looked into how the public views the acceptance of cashless means of payment in Germany. It was found that over one in two respondents had wanted to make a cashless payment at least once in recent months but were unable to do so due to cashless payment instruments not being accepted. In addition, just under three-quarters of respondents are in favour of the idea of mandating cashless payment acceptance. 

Speaking at the Bundesbank’s third Financial Centre Conference, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said that Germany needed to pick up the pace of structural reform if it is to overcome its weak growth. According to First Deputy Governor Sabine Mauderer, there needs to be a capital market for all, whether people want to save for retirement or invest in German businesses. At the conference, decision-makers from the world of politics, business and finance discussed how Germany and Europe could finance their future.

The German economy is likely to grow slightly in the third quarter of 2025, the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report states. Despite continued unfavourable investment conditions for firms and additional burdens caused by the new US tariffs, there were no signs of any major setbacks for industry. It got off to a surprisingly strong start in the third quarter. A recovery in construction output is yet to materialise, however. Private consumption is likely to increase slightly, if at all, as the labour market is not providing any strong stimulus at present. The inflation rate rose to 2.1 % in August.

We are striving to make regulation clearer, more understandable and more efficient – while continuing to safeguard the stability of the banking system, said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel at the Bundesbank’s 13th regulatory conference in Frankfurt. At the conference, representatives from banks and securities and insurance companies joined policymakers to discuss current opportunities and challenges for the financial industry and supervisors in Germany.