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But everybody always shouted at me that this isn't so and that the Bundesbank has as a part of an ancient conspiracy super secret powers and can somehow control the ECB by raising its brow.
I feel vindicated.
Perhaps someone should inform the BuBa that it no longer has any importance and should shut up?
The wordiness is an compensation for the lost influence.
And as you admitted by throwing in along with the press, media is much more relevant.
54% of Germans want the Constitutional Court to say No Most commentators are heavily discounting a Yes, or Yes but vote by Germany's Constitutional Court on the ESM next week. Spiegel Online reports of a poll showing that 54% of Germans want the court to say No. Only 25% want the Court to reject the case. The poll shows that the German public has become increasingly hostile (a sentiment no doubt whipped by the Bundesbank and comments such as those above.) 53% are against transferring further competences to the EU, while 43% want Greece out of the eurozone. Der Spiegel made the point that a No vote by the Constitutional Court would also automatically killed off Draghi's OMT. In another article, Spiegel reports on the political reaction to the decision. Most of it is unremarkable. But we were struck by a comment from Jurgen Trittin, head of the Greens in the parliament, who said that the OMT would greatly increase the risk that Germany's ESM contribution and credit guaranties would be defaulted on. He said by refusing eurobonds, Angela Merkel has forced the ECB to monetise debt through the backdoor.
Most commentators are heavily discounting a Yes, or Yes but vote by Germany's Constitutional Court on the ESM next week. Spiegel Online reports of a poll showing that 54% of Germans want the court to say No. Only 25% want the Court to reject the case. The poll shows that the German public has become increasingly hostile (a sentiment no doubt whipped by the Bundesbank and comments such as those above.) 53% are against transferring further competences to the EU, while 43% want Greece out of the eurozone. Der Spiegel made the point that a No vote by the Constitutional Court would also automatically killed off Draghi's OMT.
In another article, Spiegel reports on the political reaction to the decision. Most of it is unremarkable. But we were struck by a comment from Jurgen Trittin, head of the Greens in the parliament, who said that the OMT would greatly increase the risk that Germany's ESM contribution and credit guaranties would be defaulted on. He said by refusing eurobonds, Angela Merkel has forced the ECB to monetise debt through the backdoor.
And they have never said no to an european treaty before.
The court will either decide the law can be put in force or it will decide there must be a ruling in the matter (next year or so). I find the former is more likely. The court will NOT decide on the constitutionality next week.
And in in the current situation a stay would be enough to wreck the eurozone.
Seriously:
I think Asmussen is because of his long career inside the finance ministry more used to public diplomacy and the necessity of compromise. He is also used to support his boss in public, in this case Draghi.
Weidmann is more a product of the absolute and irresponsible Bundesbank culture.
Not much of an explanation but the best I can muster.
Weber (and Stark)
resigned. And Weidmann is outvoted again and again.
The reaction from Germany was one of outrage. At the press conference, Draghi said that one member vote No - no prizes for guessing who. Draghi said different central banks expressed different views, but all converged to this policy. As reported by Frankfurter Allgemeine and others, a Bundesbank spokesman quoted him as saying that he rejected the OMT on the grounds that it was too close to monetary financing, and that they would risks for taxpayers. The FT's editorial headline says: Mr Draghi's audacious gamble. The comment said that the SMP fell short for technical reasons, which the OMT has fixed. But it warned that the heavy lifting has yet to be done. Italy and Spain still have to apply for a programme. And the process of closer integration remains subject to political risks. While the non-German press seemed mostly impressed, the Germans went on a verbal rampage. Holger Stelzner writes in Frankfurter Allgemeine that the decision means a formal end of the separation between monetary and fiscal policy in Europe. The southern countries can now continue to amass at low interest rate, without having to worry about financial markets. The northern countries are also happy, not having to keep asking their parliaments for more money. He says the conditionality can never be applied in practice. Will the ECB stop buying bonds because Italy refuses to reforms its dismissal laws? He concludes with a reference to the German constitutional court, and wonders what the courts view on this policy will be? Marc Beise, writing in Suddeutsche Zeitung, defends the Bundesbank. He said the truly bad aspects of Draghi's decision was that the ECB left no doubt that it wants the euro to survive (Yes, we, too, had to read that sentence twice.) He writes this is not a statement a central banker should make. This is for politicians. He says the ECB has crossed an important line with its decision, but it is not irreversible. They will not be able to save the euro against Germany. Note that these are Germany's two most important newspapers, straddling a wide ranging of public opinion from the right (FAZ) to the centre-left (SZ). Interestingly, Bild Zeitung was relatively more moderate than the "serious" newspapers. Nicolas Blome dressed up his commentary in a pseudo-factual Q&A, in which he says that inflation will come, of course, but not immediately.
At the press conference, Draghi said that one member vote No - no prizes for guessing who. Draghi said different central banks expressed different views, but all converged to this policy. As reported by Frankfurter Allgemeine and others, a Bundesbank spokesman quoted him as saying that he rejected the OMT on the grounds that it was too close to monetary financing, and that they would risks for taxpayers.
The FT's editorial headline says: Mr Draghi's audacious gamble. The comment said that the SMP fell short for technical reasons, which the OMT has fixed. But it warned that the heavy lifting has yet to be done. Italy and Spain still have to apply for a programme. And the process of closer integration remains subject to political risks.
While the non-German press seemed mostly impressed, the Germans went on a verbal rampage.
Holger Stelzner writes in Frankfurter Allgemeine that the decision means a formal end of the separation between monetary and fiscal policy in Europe. The southern countries can now continue to amass at low interest rate, without having to worry about financial markets. The northern countries are also happy, not having to keep asking their parliaments for more money. He says the conditionality can never be applied in practice. Will the ECB stop buying bonds because Italy refuses to reforms its dismissal laws? He concludes with a reference to the German constitutional court, and wonders what the courts view on this policy will be?
Marc Beise, writing in Suddeutsche Zeitung, defends the Bundesbank. He said the truly bad aspects of Draghi's decision was that the ECB left no doubt that it wants the euro to survive (Yes, we, too, had to read that sentence twice.) He writes this is not a statement a central banker should make. This is for politicians. He says the ECB has crossed an important line with its decision, but it is not irreversible. They will not be able to save the euro against Germany.
Note that these are Germany's two most important newspapers, straddling a wide ranging of public opinion from the right (FAZ) to the centre-left (SZ).
Interestingly, Bild Zeitung was relatively more moderate than the "serious" newspapers. Nicolas Blome dressed up his commentary in a pseudo-factual Q&A, in which he says that inflation will come, of course, but not immediately.
They will not be able to save the euro against Germany.
Fascinating... Logically, if "Germany" doesn't want the Euro any more, it should leave, rather than destroy it. It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
Marc Beise, writing in Suddeutsche Zeitung, defends the Bundesbank. He said the truly bad aspects of Draghi's decision was that the ECB left no doubt that it wants the euro to survive (Yes, we, too, had to read that sentence twice.)
the treaties assume a permanent euro and Draghi is obligated to operate on the basis of the treaties. Otherwise he is violating his duties in a way he could be impeached.
[...] He said the truly bad aspects of Draghi's decision was that the ECB left no doubt that it wants the euro to survive [...] He says the ECB has crossed an important line with its decision, but it is not irreversible. They will not be able to save the euro against Germany.[...]
Am I actually reading these words?
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