Liebe Wiwis!
Die wöchentlichen WiWi-Diskussionen, zu denen jeder
wirtschaftwissenschaftlich Interessierte eingeladen ist, starten
dieses Semester am 2.11. mit einem - zu diskutierenden - Gastvortrag
von Eckhard Behrens:
/„Die Notenbanken müssen höhere Inflationserwartungen herbeiführen! -
Über die Entstehung der Finanzkrise und ihre Überwindung"/
Eckhard Behrens ist Volkswirt und Jurist, war u.a. im Kartellamt
(1967/68) tätig, ist seit 1972 aktives Mitglied der FDP, und ist
Mitbegründer des Seminars für freiheitliche Ordnung e.V. (mehr:
http://www.ebehrens.de und www.sffo.de <http://www.sffo.de>).
Zur Vorbereitung der Diskussion empfiehlt der Referent u.a. die
folgende Lektüre:
- Artikel des amerikanischen Ökonoms N. Gregory Mankiw in der New York
Times (2009): /"It may be time for the Fed to go negative"/
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/business/economy/19view.html).
- Rede des heutigen US-Notenbankchef Ben S. Bernanke (2002):
/"/*/Deflation: Making Sure "It" Doesn't Happen Here"/
*(http://www.federalreserve.gov/boardDocs/speeches/2002/20021121/default.htm).
- Pressemitteilung der Fed (2008):
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/monetary/20081216b.htm
- Rede des schwedischen Ökonoms Lars. E. O. Svensson: /"Monetary
policy with a zero interest rate"/
(http://www.riksbank.com/pagefolders/39304/090217e.pdf)
- Paper von Buiter, Willem H. and Panigirtzoglou, Nikolaos (2005):
"Overcoming the zero bound: Gesell vs. Eisler"
(http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/845/)
- Eckhardt Behrens in Fragen-der-Freiheit (2007): /"Wer zähmt den Hang
zur Liquidität?"/
(http://www.sffo.de/sffo/FdF_2007-10-13_Wer-z%E4hmt-den-Hang-zur-Liquiditaet…).
In seiner Pressekonferenz Anfang Oktober in Venedig hat der
EZB-Präsident Trichet zum wiederholten Male nachdrücklich betont, dass
die EZB stolz darauf ist, die Inflationserwartungen besser verankert
zu haben als andere Notenbanken (siehe
http://www.ecb.eu/press/pressconf/2009/html/is091008.en.html). Eckhard
Behrens wird sich auf folgende Auszüge darau beziehen:
Introductory statement with the Q&A
Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the ECB,
Venice, 8 October 2009
…. With regard to price developments, annual HICP inflation stood at
-0.3% in September, according to Eurostat’s flash estimate, compared
with -0.2% in August. The current negative inflation rates are in line
with previous expectations and reflect largely base effects resulting
from the movements in global commodity prices a year ago. Also owing
to base effects, annual inflation rates are projected to turn positive
again in the coming months. Thereafter, over the policy-relevant
horizon, inflation is expected to remain in positive territory, with
overall price and cost developments staying subdued reflecting ongoing
sluggish demand in the euro area and elsewhere. In this context, it is
important to re-emphasise that inflation expectations over the medium
to longer term remain firmly anchored in line with the Governing
Council’s aim of keeping inflation rates below, but close to, 2% over
the medium term.
Risks to this outlook remain broadly balanced. They relate, in
particular, to the outlook for economic activity and to the evolution
of commodity prices. Furthermore, increases in indirect taxation and
administered prices may be stronger than currently expected owing to
the need for fiscal consolidation in the coming years.
Turning to the monetary analysis, the latest data confirm that
developments in broad money and credit growth remain subdued. In
August, the annual growth of M3 and loans to the private sector
declined further to historically low rates of 2.5% and 0.1%
respectively. This parallel deceleration in money and credit growth
confirms our previous assessment of a moderate underlying pace of
monetary expansion and low inflationary pressures over the medium term.
The ongoing deceleration in annual M3 growth has continued to be
accompanied by a strengthening in annual M1 growth, which in August
rose further to 13.6%. The strength of M1 reflects the fact that
narrower spreads between the rates on different short-term deposits
have fostered shifts in the allocation of funds from, in particular,
short-term time deposits to overnight deposits. At the same time, the
steep slope of the yield curve may have supported shifts from M3 to
longer-term deposits and securities outside M3. …..
To sum up, the current rates remain appropriate. The incoming
information and analyses since our last meeting in early September
have confirmed our previous assessment. While annual HICP inflation
was still slightly negative in September, according to Eurostat’s
flash estimate, it is expected to turn positive again in the coming
months and to remain at moderately positive rates over the
policy-relevant horizon. At the same time, the latest information
further supports our view that the euro area economy is stabilising
and is expected to recover at a gradual pace. However, uncertainty
remains high. As regards medium to longer-term inflation expectations,
they remain firmly anchored in line with the Governing Council’s aim
of keeping inflation rates below, but close to, 2% over the medium
term. Cross-checking the outcome of the economic analysis with that of
the monetary analysis confirms the assessment of low inflationary
pressure over the medium term, as money and credit expansion continues
to moderate. Against this background, we expect price stability to be
maintained over the medium term, thereby supporting the purchasing
power of euro area households.
*Transcript of the questions asked and the answers given by
Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the ECB, and Lucas Papademos,
Vice-President of the ECB, and Mario Draghi, Governor of the Banca
D’Italia*
…. Question: I have two questions today. First of all, the five-year
break-even rate, which is one of your favourite gauges of inflation,
shows that inflation expectations are at their highest since 2005. Is
this a cause for concern? ….
Trichet: As you know – and I am saying this on behalf of the Governing
Council – the anchoring of inflation expectations is extremely
important to us. We consider it to be essential to enable us to
deliver price stability, which is our primary objective. And let me
also say that the very solid anchoring of inflation expectations has
helped us in both of the directions involved. We were able to avoid
the materialisation of deflationary risk in the euro area, because we
benefited considerably from the solid anchoring of inflation
expectations. In comparison with a number of other economies, we had a
more solid anchoring that allowed us to avoid any un-anchoring of
inflation expectations. And, in terms of the effectiveness of our own
monetary policy action after the crisis, we were helped considerably
by the fact that there was no dramatic deterioration of inflation
expectations in a downward direction. This anchoring plays an equally
important role in avoiding that inflation expectations move upward,
which is, of course, something that is also key for a recovery. If we
had inflation expectations going upward, this additional spread would
be incorporated in the medium and long-term market rates and we would
be in a financial environment that would be far more adverse for the
recovery we are all aiming for. We are monitoring all the information
we receive from the financial markets very carefully: you mentioned
the five-years forward on five-years break-even inflation rate. We are
also keeping a very close eye on all surveys, those that we undertake
ourselves and the surveys that are conducted by the private sector. At
the moment, we are of the opinion that, taking into account all
aspects, including technical factors, we are maintaining a solid
anchoring of inflation expectations. And you can count on the fact
that we will continue with great care to ensure that this anchoring
remains solid.
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