Word: ecb
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Inflation When Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), announced a 0.25 percentage point increase in Europe's key lending rate on July 3, he contended that it was critical to stave off the so-called secondary effects of inflation and "to neutralize the growing risks to price stability." In plain English, that means he's worried about an inflationary spiral in which manufacturers of industrial and consumer goods raise prices to compensate for higher costs - and workers demand hefty pay increases so they can afford the rising cost of their household purchases. The risk...
Trichet's critics, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, say it makes no sense for the ECB to raise interest rates to fight frothy commodity-market prices, and Trichet himself signaled that the bank isn't planning any more rate hikes in the near future. But surging inflation poses a huge threat to Europe's chances of beating the downturn, especially when combined with weak growth. Inflation is perhaps the trickiest economic indicator to forecast: for example, over the past year, the ECB's staff has based each of its inflation projections on an assumption that oil prices will stabilize...
...mandate of the ECB, as well as its leaders’ beliefs, differs significantly from that of the American Fed. Since its inception in the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, and largely due to the powerful influence of the conservative German Budnesbank, the ECB’s main charter goal is not to ensure growth (and the political survival of politicians in office). Rather, it is to “maintain price stability...
...ECB officials know better or, at the very least, have better memory. The goal of maintaining price stability effectively means pursuing a responsible monetary policy to avoid spiralling inflation, which this year will be well above the two percent goal because of high commodity and energy prices. Even disregarding the Weimar Republic nightmares of the twenties, European bankers remember the dangers of stagflation in the late seventies, and the misallocating effects of irresponsible inflationary policies in continental Europe before the euro. After all, before being constrained by the ECB straightjacket, central bankers in countries like Italy gave in to politicians...
...right. At these crossroads, however, Europe’s long-term and short-term goals are aligned: It should stick to its responsible monetary polices and avoid inflation in order to protect the purchasing power of most Europeans. Especially in the context of Fed moves, if the ECB gives in to irresponsible and demagogic politicians, Europe will eventually suffer not only from higher unemployment, but also from higher price levels brought about by internalized expectations...