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The Zero Lower Bound, ECB Interest Rate Policy and the Financial Crisis

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  • Stefan Gerlach
  • John Lewis

Abstract

This paper estimates a monetary policy reaction function for the ECB over the period 1999-2009. To allow for a potential shift in interest rate setting during the financial crisis, we permit a smooth transition from one set of parameters to another. The estimates show a swift change in the months following the collapse of Lehman brothers. They suggest that the ECB cut rates more aggressively than expected solely on the basis of the worsening of macroeconomic conditions, consistent with the theoretical literature on optimal monetary policy in the vicinity of the zero bound.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Gerlach & John Lewis, 2010. "The Zero Lower Bound, ECB Interest Rate Policy and the Financial Crisis," DNB Working Papers 254, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:dnb:dnbwpp:254
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    File URL: https://www.dnb.nl/binaries/WP%20254_tcm46-237507.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Beckmann, Joscha & Belke, Ansgar & Dreger, Christian, 2017. "The relevance of international spillovers and asymmetric effects in the Taylor rule," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 162-170.
    2. Merola, Rossana, 2015. "The role of financial frictions during the crisis: An estimated DSGE model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 70-82.
    3. John Inekwe, 2018. "Financial crises and the extreme bounds of predictors," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 2047-2067, December.
    4. He, Xiaoli & Jacobs, Jan P.A.M. & Kuper, Gerard H. & Ligthart, Jenny E., 2013. "On the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on the Euro Area," Working Papers 17209, University of Tasmania, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, revised 16 Oct 2013.
    5. Stefan Gerlach & John Lewis, 2014. "ECB Reaction Functions and the Crisis of 2008," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 10(1), pages 137-158, March.
    6. Simon Cornée & Panu Kalmi & Ariane Szafarz, 2020. "The Business Model of Social Banks," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(2), pages 196-226, May.
    7. Alexius, Annika & Birenstam, Helene & Eklund, Johanna, 2014. "The interbank market risk premium, central bank interventions, and measures of market liquidity," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(PA), pages 202-217.
    8. Rossana Merola, 2013. "The role of financial frictions in the 2007-2008 crisis: an estimated DSGE model," Working Papers Department of Economics 2013/08, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
    9. Andrew Hughes Hallett & John Lewis, 2015. "Monetary policy and sovereign debt: Does the ECB take the eurozone’s fiscal risks into account?," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 499-520, August.
    10. Schepp, Zoltán & Abaligeti, Gallusz & Németh, Kristóf, 2018. "Időben változó Taylor-szabály a hazai monetáris politika jellemzésére [A time-varying parameter Taylor rule for Hungarian monetary policy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 24-43.
    11. Yüksel, Ebru & Metin-Ozcan, Kivilcim & Hatipoglu, Ozan, 2013. "A survey on time-varying parameter Taylor rule: A model modified with interest rate pass-through," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 122-134.
    12. Nikolay Markov & Thomas Nitschka, 2013. "Estimating Taylor Rules for Switzerland: Evidence from 2000 to 2012," Working Papers 2013-08, Swiss National Bank.
    13. Dimitris P. Louzis, 2014. "Macroeconomic and credit forecasts in a small economy during crisis: A large Bayesian VAR approach," Working Papers 184, Bank of Greece.
    14. repec:dgr:rugsom:13011-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Aastrup, Morten & Jensen, Henrik, 2010. "What Drives the European Central Bank's Interest-Rate Changes?," CEPR Discussion Papers 8160, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Dimitrios P. Louzis, 2017. "Macroeconomic and credit forecasts during the Greek crisis using Bayesian VARs," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 569-598, September.
    17. Jung, Alexander, 2016. "Have monetary data releases helped markets to predict the interest rate decisions of the European Central Bank?," Working Paper Series 1926, European Central Bank.
    18. Ma, Yong, 2014. "Monetary policy based on nonlinear quantity rule: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 89-104.
    19. Wolfram Berger & Friedrich Kissmer, 2013. "Monetary Policy and Asset Prices: When Cleaning Up Hits the Zero Lower Bound," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 149(III), pages 291-312, September.
    20. Ahmad Hassan Ahmad & Stephen Brown, 2017. "Re-examining the ECB’s two-pillar monetary policy strategy: Are there any deviations during and the pre-financial crisis periods?," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 44(3), pages 585-607, August.
    21. Nataliia Kostiuchenko, 2015. "A Challenge Of Trust: Can Distrust Kill The Euro?," Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, Publishing house "Baltija Publishing", vol. 1(1).
    22. Belke, Ansgar & Beckmann, Joscha & Dreger, Christian, 2014. "Does the foreign interest rate matter for monetary policy? Evidence from nonlinear Taylor rules," Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100450, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ECB; reaction functions; zero lower bound; smooth transition;

    JEL classification:

    • C2 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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