iven the anticipated need for credit in the real economy, BaFin intends to lower the countercyclical capital buffer from 0.25% to 0% as of 1 April 2020. This preventive measure will strengthen the German banking sector’s ability to lend.

Bundesbank Executive Board member Johannes Beermann has indicated that the risk of picking up coronavirus via cash is extremely minimal. In a press briefing at the Bundesbank, Mr Beermann noted that “the probability of becoming ill from handling cash is smaller than from many other objects used in everyday life”.

The European Central Bank and other major central banks have agreed on a coordinated action to safeguard the provision of credit institutions with cheap US dollar loans. This will serve as a liquidity backstop amidst the coronavirus pandemic and strengthen the supply of credit to households and enterprises. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann welcomed the coordinated action.

In light of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the ECB has announced new liquidity assistance measures to bolster the flow of credit to the economy. In this context, the ECB is focusing primarily on small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, the ECB will acquire €120 billion worth of securities until the end of the year in addition to the bond purchases that have already been planned. The key interest rates will remain unchanged.  

The Bundesbank posted a profit of €5.8 billion for the 2019 financial year. Following adjustment of the reserves, the Bank registered its highest distributable profit since 2008, at €5.9 billion. “Lower risk provisioning is the main reason for this strong rise in the profit for the year,” Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann explained.

At its monetary policy meeting on 23 January, the Governing Council of the ECB decided to review its monetary policy strategy. Alongside the national central banks, this newly launched process will also engage with the general public and civil society.

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann received ECB President Christine Lagarde at the Bundesbank. Mr Weidmann showed Ms Lagarde the Money Museum and the TARGET2 room.

German economic activity remained weak in the final quarter of 2019. Industry was the main factor weighing on aggregate output towards the end of the year, the Bundesbank’s economists write in the most recent edition of their Monthly Report. House price inflation in Germany lessened last year.

House prices in German towns and cities were up in 2019 by 6% on the year. This represents a marked slowdown in price growth compared with 2018. 

Speaking at Deutsche Börse’s New Year’s reception in Eschborn, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann says that monetary policy needs to be easier to understand.