IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jns/jbstat/v235y2015i3p329-341.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The ECB as Lender of Last Resort: Banks versus Governments

Author

Listed:
  • Winkler Adalbert

    (Development Finance, Centre for Development Finance, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management gemeinnützige GmbH, Sonnemannstrasse 9–11, 60314 Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

Abstract

The OMT programme has been strongly criticized as being incompatible with the ECB’s mandate. Applying standard lender of last resort (LoLR) theory in the assessment of the OMT we find that when de facto operating as a LoLR for governments, the ECB is as much is line with its mandate as when performing as a LoLR for banks. None of four arguments used to explain why it is acceptable to have the ECB as a LoLR for banks, while a LoLR role for governments has to be rejected, namely a) the missing euro area fiscal backstop, b) the long-term nature of the euro crisis, c) the example of the US as a monetary union without a LoLR for sub-states and d) the claim that central bank purchases of government bonds ultimately always lead to inflation, is convincing. However, decisive steps towards fiscal and banking union are needed to stabilize the euro area.

Suggested Citation

  • Winkler Adalbert, 2015. "The ECB as Lender of Last Resort: Banks versus Governments," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 235(3), pages 329-341, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:235:y:2015:i:3:p:329-341
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2015-0307
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2015-0307
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/jbnst-2015-0307?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adalbert Winkler, 2013. "Ordnung und Vertrauen – Zentralbank und Staat in der Eurokrise," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 14(3-4), pages 198-218, August.
    2. John Joseph Wallis & Richard E. Sylla & Arthur Grinath III, 2004. "Sovereign Debt and Repudiation: The Emerging-Market Debt Crisis in the U.S. States, 1839-1843," NBER Working Papers 10753, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Clemens Fuest & Andreas Peichl, 2012. "European Fiscal Union: What Is It? Does It work? And Are There Really 'No Alternatives'?," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 13(01), pages 03-09, April.
    4. Rudolf Richter, 2013. "Geldwertsicherung im internationalen Goldstandard und in einer Währungsunion von Staaten mit Papierstandard aus institutionenökonomischer Sicht," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 14(1-2), pages 132-149, February.
    5. Issing, Otmar, 2013. "Challenges for monetary policy," SAFE White Paper Series 7, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    6. Marvin Goodfriend, 2012. "The Elusive Promise of Independent Central Banking," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 30, pages 39-54, November.
    7. Hans-Werner Sinn, 2014. "Responsibility of States and Central Banks in the Euro Crisis," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 15(01), pages 03-36, February.
    8. Goodfriend, Marvin, 2011. "Central banking in the credit turmoil: An assessment of Federal Reserve practice," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 1-12, January.
    9. Ashoka Mody, 2014. "Did the German court do Europe a favour?," Working Papers 840, Bruegel.
    10. Martin F. Hellwig, 2014. "Financial Stability, Monetary Policy, Banking Supervision, and Central Banking," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2014_09, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    11. Obstfeld, Maurice, 2013. "Finance at Center Stage: Some Lessons of the Euro Crisis," CEPR Discussion Papers 9415, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Kevin H. O'Rourke & Alan M. Taylor, 2013. "Cross of Euros," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 27(3), pages 167-192, Summer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wojciech Grabowski & Ewa Stawasz-Grabowska, 2021. "How have the European central bank’s monetary policies been affecting financial markets in CEE-3 countries?," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(1), pages 43-83, March.
    2. Hjalte Lokdam, 2020. "‘We Serve the People of Europe’: Reimagining the ECB's Political Master in the Wake of its Emergency Politics," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 978-998, July.
    3. Winkler Adalbert, 2018. "Zehn Jahre nach dem Konkurs von Lehman Brothers: Ordnungspolitische Irrtümer in der Bewertung der EZB-Geldpolitik seit der globalen Finanzkrise," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 141-162, July.
    4. Lokdam, Hjalte, 2020. "We serve the people of Europe: reimagining the ECB's political master in the wake of its emergency politics," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111873, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Dirk Meyer, 2016. "Euro Money Creation by Member States: the Dangers of Extra National Money," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 69(06), pages 30-40, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Winkler, Adalbert, 2013. "Der lender of last resort vor Gericht," Frankfurt School - Working Paper Series 206, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
    2. Winkler, Adalbert, 2014. "The lender of last resort in court," Frankfurt School - Working Paper Series 207, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
    3. Calmfors, Lars, 2015. "The Roles of Fiscal Rules, Fiscal Councils and Fiscal Union in EU Integration," Working Paper Series 1076, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    4. Donato Masciandaro & Davide Romelli, 2019. "Behavioral Monetary Policymaking: Economics, Political Economy and Psychology," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Behavioral Finance The Coming of Age, chapter 9, pages 285-329, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Maurice Obstfeld, 2013. "On Keeping Your Powder Dry: Fiscal Foundations of Financial and Price Stability," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 31, pages 25-38, November.
    6. Charles W. Calomiris, 2019. "How to Promote Fed Independence: Perspectives from Political Economy and History," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 31(4), pages 21-42, December.
    7. Paolo Pasimeni, 2014. "An Optimum Currency Crisis," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 11(2), pages 173-204, December.
    8. Giancarlo Corsetti & Luca Dedola, 2016. "The Mystery of the Printing Press: Monetary Policy and Self-Fulfilling Debt Crises," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(6), pages 1329-1371.
    9. Goodfriend, Marvin, 2014. "Lessons from a century of FED policy: Why monetary and credit policies need rules and boundaries," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 112-120.
    10. László Andor, 2016. "Towards shared unemployment insurance in the euro area," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Thomas L. Hogan & Linh Le & Alexander William Salter, 2015. "Ben Bernanke and Bagehot's Rules," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(2-3), pages 333-348, March.
    12. Amélie BARBIER-GAUCHARD, 2020. "Blueprint for the European Fiscal Union: State of knowledge and Challenges," Working Papers of BETA 2020-39, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    13. Niklas Gadatsch & Josef Hollmayr & Nikolai Stähler, 2019. "Thoughts on a Fiscal Union in EMU," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 20(4), pages 360-384, November.
    14. Issing, Otmar, 2013. "Challenges for monetary policy," SAFE White Paper Series 7, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    15. Hautcoeur, Pierre-Cyrille & Riva, Angelo & White, Eugene N., 2014. "Floating a “lifeboat”: The Banque de France and the crisis of 1889," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 104-119.
    16. Christopher Bowdler & Amar Radia, 2012. "Unconventional monetary policy: the assessment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 28(4), pages 603-621, WINTER.
    17. Christophe Blot & Jérôme Creel & Paul Hubert, 2019. "Challenges ahead for EMU monetary policy," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03403244, HAL.
    18. Schelkle, Waltraud, 2017. "Hamilton�s Paradox Revisited: Alternative lessons from US history," CEPS Papers 12963, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    19. Massimo Guidolin & Manuela Pedio, 2019. "Forecasting and Trading Monetary Policy Effects on the Riskless Yield Curve with Regime Switching Nelson†Siegel Models," Working Papers 639, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    20. Léo Aparisi de Lannoy & Xavier Ragot, 2017. "Une (ré) assurance chômage européenne," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03455381, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lender of last resort; central banking; monetary union;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:235:y:2015:i:3:p:329-341. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.