Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret has paid a visit to Singapore to mark Min-Kyu Jang's appointment as the Bank's new representative in the country. In his speech, Mr Dombret talked about how close-knit the financial markets are, explaining that the Bundesbank was responding to this state of play in a number of ways, including seconding representatives to major financial centres around the world.

The Bundesbank has significantly raised its forecast for German economic growth for this year and the next. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann expects the trajectory of growth to be sustained in equal measure by domestic and foreign demand. However, he sees risks of a setback to economic recovery in the euro area.

The finance ministers and central bank governors of the seven leading industrial economies (G7) have met in Dresden to discuss ways to achieve a more dynamic world economy and a stable financial system. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann stressed the major importance of innovation, investment and structural reforms in this context.

The finance ministers and central bank governors of the seven most industrialised nations (G7) have come together in Dresden. Under Germany’s G7 presidency, they are discussing how to make the global economy more dynamic and the financial system more stable. Also on the agenda is greater cooperation for fairer taxation.

The Bundesbank believes that the European Commission's most recent actions weaken Europe's fiscal rules. Owing to numerous exceptions, frequent changes and the increasing complexity of the rules, it is now "barely possible" to apply them consistently, the Bundesbank argues in the current edition of its Monthly Report. It sees the weakening of the binding effect of the rules and of the incentives to ensure sound public finances in the euro area as a cause for concern.

The Bundesbank supports the European Commission's initiative to build a European Capital Markets Union (CMU). In a statement the Bundesbank said that closer integration of the European Union's capital markets could make the European financial system both more growth-friendly and shock-resistant.

The Bundesbank is expecting continued distinct economic growth in the coming months. According to the current issue of the Monthly Report, private consumption is the key driver of this growth. In the industrial sector, however, the Bundesbank's economists expect a more sluggish economic development.

Alexandre Lamfalussy, one of the founding fathers of the euro, passed away on 9 May at the age of 86. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann praised him as one of the important pioneers of European monetary union.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Germany’s upswing to continue in 2015, according to the preliminary conclusions of the "Article IV consultations" for Germany. Growth is being supported mainly by private consumption, according to the Fund. The IMF's economists recommend that Germany use the favourable cyclical position in order to accomplish important policy objectives.

Six months on from the launch of Europe´s Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret is upbeat about what has been accomplished so far. "European banking supervision makes it possible for banks throughout the euro area to be supervised according to the same high standards," he said at a conference in Frankfurt am Main, adding that harmonising national supervisory practices for small banks as well remains a challenge.