The global economy is under pressure: the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East have heightened geopolitical tensions. Germany, a large open economy with a gross international investment position of over €14 trillion, is particularly affected by this. In the current edition of the Monthly Report, our experts analyse changes in Germany’s external assets against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation.

“World events are keeping us on tenterhooks,” said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel at a joint press conference with Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, speaking about challenges facing the German economy and monetary policy. Nagel noted that the situation in the Middle East was, in many respects, a new test of hardship. 

Digitalisation, in particular, can increase productivity growth: Germany has work to do in this area, Executive Board member Fritzi Köhler-Geib said at a Bundesbank panel discussion. There, she spoke with Kristina Sinemus, Hesse’s Minister for Digitalisation and Innovation, and Claudia Nemat in her capacity as a tech entrepreneur, about boosting economic growth.

The digital euro is intended to complement cash and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in payments, the Bundesbank writes in its latest Monthly Report. Both online and offline payments would be possible with the digital euro. It would introduce the benefits of cash to the digital world without replacing cash.