ECB Official Emphasizes Limits of Monetary Policy
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A member of the European Central Bank’s rate-setting council has said monetary policy cannot boost long-term growth and called instead for reforms by governments to make the weak economy more investment-friendly.
Jens Weidmann said in the text of a speech in Madrid on Monday that low interest rates and stimulus measures can boost short-term demand but that central bank action “cannot permanently boost growth prospects.”
Call for Structural Reforms and Investment
Weidmann, who also heads Germany’s Bundesbank central bank, said that long-term growth depended on countries’ willingness to lower barriers to investment by streamlining bureaucracy and rules on hiring and firing.
Recent ECB Statements on Economic Support
His remarks follow a speech last week by ECB President Mario Draghi in which he said the bank was ready to do more to boost the struggling economy.
