Podcast

Deep Focus: Consequences of European Central Bank forecasting errors

Bruegel senior scholar Zsolt Darvas speaks about his review of systematic errors in ECB forecasting, in another instalment of the Deep Focus podcast on 'The Sound of Economics' channel

By: Date: December 12, 2018 Topic: Banking and capital markets

In this episode of the Deep Focus, Sean Gibson speaks with Bruegel senior scholar Zsolt Darvas about his research on European Central Bank forecasting.

Zsolt has analysed that, over the past five years, ECB forecasts have proven to be systematically incorrect: core inflation remained broadly stable at 1% despite the stubbornly predicted increase, while the unemployment rate fell faster than predicted.

Such forecast errors, which are also inconsistent with each other, raise serious doubts about the reliability of the ECB’s current forecast of accelerating core inflation, and necessitates a reflection on the inflation aim of the ECB.

You may also be interested in this blog post by Zsolt Darvas, which contains charts illustrating just how erroneous the ECB’s forecasting on inflation and unemployment has become in recent times.

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Policy Contribution

An analysis of central bank decision-making

An earlier version of this paper was presented at ‘The MPC at 25’, a conference organised by the United Kingdom’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research, in London, 30 March 2022 The process by which central banks take decisions has evolved over the years, with a tendency towards independence and decisions taken by committees […]

By: Maria Demertzis, Catarina Martins and Nicola Viegi Topic: Banking and capital markets Date: July 11, 2022
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Opinion

Central banks have been too slow in responding to higher inflation

Tackling inflation requires both monetary and fiscal policy tightening. It should be done quickly to avoid building up inflationary inertia and stagflation

By: Marek Dabrowski Topic: Macroeconomic policy Date: July 6, 2022
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Podcast

Podcast

How has the pandemic affected the BRI?

How has the COVID-19 Pandemic reshaped the scope and ambition of China's Belt and Road Initiative?

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Global economy and trade Date: July 6, 2022
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Podcast

Podcast

A decade of economic policy

Guntram Wolff looks back at the past decade of Bruegel contribution to economic policy in Europe.

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Banking and capital markets, Digital economy and innovation, European governance, Global economy and trade, Green economy, Inclusive growth, Macroeconomic policy Date: June 30, 2022
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Blog Post

The implications for public debt of high inflation and monetary tightening

Expected increases in interest rates and reductions in real GDP growth rates will result in relatively small increases in public debt-to-GDP ratios, but inflation will reduce debt ratios very substantially

By: Zsolt Darvas Topic: Macroeconomic policy Date: June 29, 2022
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Podcast

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What needs to be done to address the Sri Lankan crisis and how does it relate to China?

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Global economy and trade Date: June 23, 2022
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Blog Post

A new European tool to deal with unjustified rising spreads

The European Central Bank needs a new tool to prevent the current rise in spreads, triggered by monetary policy tightening, from escalating into a new euro-area crisis.

By: Grégory Claeys and Maria Demertzis Topic: Banking and capital markets Date: June 20, 2022
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Podcast

Podcast

Growth for good?

Can economic growth be a force for good and help in the fight against climate change?

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Green economy, Macroeconomic policy Date: June 15, 2022
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Podcast

Podcast

War in Ukraine: Ukraine's place in the EU

Should Ukraine's accession to the EU be facilitated?

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: European governance Date: June 14, 2022
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External Publication

European governanceEuropean Parliament

Fragmentation risk in the euro area: no easy way out for the European Central Bank

The ECB should design a specific tool that will accompany interest rate hikes to neutralise the risk of fragmentation directly for countries facing it, staying within the bounds of the EU treaties and ensuring political legitimacy. We also advocate structural changes to the ECB’s collateral framework to avoid unnecessary uncertainty surrounding the safe asset status of European sovereign bonds.

By: Maria Demertzis, Grégory Claeys and Lionel Guetta-Jeanrenaud Topic: European governance, European Parliament, Testimonies Date: June 8, 2022
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Is China bailing Russia out?

The mystery of China-Russia economic relations in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what it means for Europe.

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Global economy and trade Date: June 8, 2022
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Podcast

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An embargo on (most) Russian oil

A timely reflection on the EU’s latest round of sanctions banning Russian oil imports.

By: The Sound of Economics Topic: Green economy Date: May 31, 2022
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