In the debate about a possible exit of Greece from the euro area, Argentina is often referred to as an example - both by those in favour of and those warning of the adverse effects of a Grexit. Yet, while Argentina pulled off an impressive economic recovery after its 2001-02 crisis - one that...

By pumping trillions of euros into the eurozone’s financial system, the ECB's quantitative easing programme intends to indirectly alter the private sector’s borrowing and spending behaviour. After more than a year since its initial inception, a review of the programme's impact reveals that...

This article critically discusses the potential of the new behavioural turn in consumer policy. It focuses on methodological and normative aspects, which are not suffi ciently discussed in the policy domain, in particular on the lessons that can be learned from randomised control trials and the...

The Swiss debt brake served as a model for the new German budget rule. The two tools share the long-term goal of rendering fiscal policy sustainable by stabilising nominal debt as well as the short-term goal of smoothing the economic cycle. Debt brakes thus act as an automatic stabiliser within...

The current complicated economic situation in Greece – and the rising political uncertainty that once again accompanies it – has important repercussions for growth, incomes, employment and the banking system in both the short and long term. The new Greek government is trying to perform a...

Collateral plays a central role in monetary policy. In recent years, its importance has increased as uncollateralised inter-bank borrowing has gradually been replaced by collateralised central bank lending. This has in turn affected collateral availability and the need for high-quality assets....

The ECB’s recently launched Expanded Asset Purchasing Programme is similar to the quantitative easing programmes undertaken by the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan. While theory suggests that quantitative easing can stimulate economic growth and spur inflation via...