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ECB chief Trichet urges budget discipline in eurozone

517 views · Published 29 August 2011 · 1:52 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Euractiv · 2011 · News & Politics

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The European Parliament on Monday expressed broad support and full confidence in the way that the European Central Bank is handling what he says it  the worst financial crisis since the second World War.

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Addressing a packed committee-room in Brussels, ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet reiterated his view on the need for even more stringent budget reforms in the countries that have adopted the euro.

Trichet said that the ECB, together with national central banks, has spent more than 115 billion euro since the crisis began. This money was spent on  distressed bonds from countries like Greece and Portugal in order to support the market.

"The security market programmes strictly aims at  correcting mal functioning of markets. The prohibition of monetary  financing underlines precisely the fact that budgetary discipline is of  the utmost importance", Trichet said.
 
Responding to concerns about a possible lack of liquidity in the Eurozone, Trichet said that this simply was not a possibility because of the immense volumes of money that circulates in Europe.
 
Trichet said that buying troubled bonds in the open market does not clash with the ECB's goal of keeping the cost of living in the Eurozone under control, something that the central bank has successfully managed since the euro was created. The ECB chief said that uncertainty in the markets remains high, which means the European central bank will continue to offer its support.

"Uncertainty remains  particularly high. This mainly relates to ongoing fiscal and economic 
adjustment in a number of Euro area countries and most other  advanced economies, as well as the overall outlook of for the global  economy. In particular the US has been facing both fiscal and 
structural head winds admit economic prospects", Trichet said.

Trichet called on Eurozone governments to rapidly implement the agreement they reach in July about a second bailout for Greece and that more swift actions will be necessary in the future.

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