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Otmar Issing

Otmar Issing

16 commentaries

Otmar Issing, former chief economist and member of the board of the European Central Bank, is Honorary President of the Center for Financial Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt.

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  1. Can the ECB Escape Its Own Trap?
    issing16_Andreas RentzGetty Images_christinelagarde Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

    Can the ECB Escape Its Own Trap?

    Jun 7, 2023 Otmar Issing examines the policy dilemma facing central banks as they try to shrink their bloated balance sheets.

  2. The ECB’s Political Overreach
    issing15_Boris Roesslerpicture alliance via Getty Images_ecb Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The ECB’s Political Overreach

    Jul 27, 2022 Otmar Issing thinks a new asset-purchase program will push the central bank further into a domain where it doesn't belong.

  3. The High Stakes of Rising Inflation
    issing14_OLIVIER DOULIERYAFP via Getty Images_fed reserve inflation OLIVIER DOULIERYAFP via Getty Images

    The High Stakes of Rising Inflation

    Nov 30, 2021 Otmar Issing warns that growing pressure on prices is a global phenomenon, posing a crucial test for central banks.

  4. The Return of Inflation?
    issing13_Getty Images_inflation Getty Images

    The Return of Inflation?

    Jul 16, 2021 Otmar Issing worries that central banks are ignoring potential new sources of upward price pressure and uncertainty.

  5. The MMT Myth
    issing12_matthiashaas_getty Images_printing money mmt Matthias Haas/Getty Images

    The MMT Myth

    Nov 3, 2020 Otmar Issing explains why Modern Monetary Theory amounts to (poisonous) old wine in a new bottle.

  1. velasco156_Alex WroblewskiGettyImages_dnc_harris_buttons Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

    How Liberals Lost America

    Andrés Velasco attributes Donald Trump’s return to power to Democrats’ embrace of both moral neutrality and moral preachiness.
  2. halland10_TERJE PEDERSENNTBAFP via Getty Images_norwayukraineaid Terje Pedersenntb/AFP via Getty Images

    Norway Should Cede Its War Windfall to Ukraine

    Håvard Halland & Knut Anton Mork say that the government's justifications for its war profiteering are disingenuous and short-sighted.
  3. bhide11_Anthony KwanGettyImages_deepseek Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

    Is DeepSeek Really a Threat?

    Amar Bhidé

    If vindicated, DeepSeek’s technology could be to large language models what Nikola Tesla’s breakthroughs with alternating current were to electrification. While it cannot overcome the unavoidable limitations of backward-looking statistical models, it could make their price performance good enough for wider use.

    explains what a purported Chinese AI breakthrough does and does not mean for the industry.
  4. spence180_Picture AllianceGettyImages_germany_annual_economic_report Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    What’s Wrong With Germany’s Economy?

    Michael Spence

    Germany became a European powerhouse partly because, in the early 2000s, its industrial sectors took over the highest-valued-added segments of global supply chains. Replicating this success today would require Germany to move to the forefront of the digital transformation, and it cannot do that without the EU.

    thinks the country’s prospects depend significantly on closing the digital-technology gap with the US and China.
  5. hausmann119_Christine OlssonGettyImages_northvolt_bankruptcy Christine Olsson/Getty Images

    When Companies Fail to Learn, They Learn to Fail

    Ricardo Hausmann explains how the inability to identify and address knowledge gaps can doom even the most promising projects.
  6. berahab1_LUDOVIC MARINAFP via Getty Images_gabonforest Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

    How to Make Carbon Pricing Work for Africa

    Rim Berahab & Otaviano Canuto argue that policies must be structured to facilitate, not obstruct, the continent’s shift to renewables.
  7. jma6_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_evs_trade NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Green Free Trade in a Protectionist Age

    Ma Jun envisions regional arrangements that facilitate the exchange of climate-friendly goods and services.
  8. mazarei1_Sayed HassanGetty Images_suezcanal Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

    Egypt’s Economic Crisis May Not Be Over

    Adnan Mazarei urges the international community to push for long-overdue governance and economic reforms.
  9. iyer2_SIA KAMBOUAFP via Getty Images_malariavaccine Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images

    Climate Displacement Is Also a Health Crisis

    Jayasree K. Iyer proposes a four-pronged strategy to ensure that essential medicines reach vulnerable populations.

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