Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, speaking at an event at Ruhr University Bochum, has called for further interest rate steps. Looking to future developments, he said: “In my view, it is by no means certain that interest rates will reach their peak as early as this summer.” He believes that the German economy is well placed to rise to the challenges ahead, even if it did contract over the past two quarters: “With regard to the remainder of the year, our economists are cautiously optimistic. Things should start to pick up again soon, then.”

German economic output is expected to rise again slightly in the second quarter of 2023, the Bundesbank writes in the May edition of its Monthly Report. Inflation, which is now broad-based and rather persistent, is increasingly leaving its mark on wage rises. There is much to suggest that firms will pass on part of the increased wage costs through their prices as the year progresses.

Congratulations! The European Central Bank (ECB) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It has now been the single monetary authority for the euro area for a quarter of a century. Following the Bundesbank’s model, the ECB is politically independent and pursues price stability as its primary objective.

“Central banks and supervisors also need to consider nature-related risks and biodiversity loss,” urged Sabine Mauderer, member of the Bundesbank’s Executive Board, in her opening speech at this year’s Bundesbank Spring Conference. “Because there will be no stable climate without a healthy natural world – and vice versa.” President Joachim Nagel used his welcome address at the “Central Banks and Climate Change” research conference to stress that “by pursuing price stability, the Eurosystem is supporting the green transition”.