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Ordinarily, in a bank run the correct action for the central bank is to increase liquidity to accommodate the desire of the private sector to convert bank deposits into physical cash and/or move their money somewhere safer. But this is when the reason for the bank run is concerns about bank solvency. In the Greek case, the bank run was due to concerns about sovereign solvency, and in particular about the growing possibility of redenomination of deposits into a new, devalued currency. Since the reason for the bank run was political, therefore, I find it hard to criticise the ECB. It was in a cleft stick. If it increased liquidity, it was arguably supporting the Greek government. If it reduced it, it was supporting the Eurozone creditors. It therefore did neither. Maintaining ELA at its existing level was a politically neutral decision. The real mistake was made by the Greek government. It was always obvious that the talks would be difficult, and the Greek government's "strength in weakness" approach meant that it had to allow itself to be pushed dangerously close to Grexit. Bank runs were inevitable. So allowing Greek banks to become totally reliant on a central bank controlled by its Eurozone creditors - and itself a creditor - was a fatal flaw in the Greek government's strategy. It should have imposed capital controls long before. Had it done so, monetary conditions in Greece would still have been very tight but the banks could have remained open.
The real mistake was made by the Greek government. It was always obvious that the talks would be difficult, and the Greek government's "strength in weakness" approach meant that it had to allow itself to be pushed dangerously close to Grexit. Bank runs were inevitable. So allowing Greek banks to become totally reliant on a central bank controlled by its Eurozone creditors - and itself a creditor - was a fatal flaw in the Greek government's strategy. It should have imposed capital controls long before. Had it done so, monetary conditions in Greece would still have been very tight but the banks could have remained open.
My major point remains: Without democratic control of the ECB a different Europe is implausible.
Yes, if only the eurogroup controlled the ECB...
But at least it should be possible to impeach central bankers for egregious misconduct. As it is right now, the monthly sessions by the ECB Prasident with the EP's ECON committee are a pure courtesy. A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
The key point of democracy is not that it creates automatically good outcome, but that it provides a path to change a given situation. With the current EP in charge would be no better then it is now. But it would create a pan-european way for democratic change.
You yourself have criticized the nationalized discourse on this site. But there is a reason for this. On the level of the nation we know how to create democratic change.
But Euro or not, in the present economical situation I fear that radical monetary action will be necessary to stave of disaster. This will require a different set of rules for the ECB or any national central bank, with article 123 being the most important rule which needs to be changed.
Democratic control of the ECB might not actually produce my desired outcome of course. And I might be wrong on the economics, too!
But then let me also say that on a very fundamental level I think that the ECB needs to be an institution which is established by a law/directive of the EP.
It can in fact be established as independent. But the final say should be with the EP. I believe this fully independent of outcome. If we want to have a true pan European economy we need pan European democracy.
issues we fight over should not pit countries against each other, but political movements.
Anyway, I was not refering to Italy, but to Greece. With the current deal in place, the Greek parliament is reduced to a rubber stamp department of the Troika.
The Euro-Summit `Agreement' on Greece - annotated by Yanis Varoufakis | Yanis Varoufakis
The government needs to consult and agree with the Institutions on all draft legislation in relevant areas with adequate time before submitting it for public consultation or to Parliament [i.e. Greek Parliament must, again, after five months of short-lived independence, become an appendage of the Troika - passing translated legislation mechanistically.]
And, furthermore the Greek government must own their austerity:
In this context, the ownership by the Greek authorities is key [i.e. the Syriza government must sign a declaration of having defected to the troika's `logic'], and successful implementation should follow policy commitments.
Taken together, this limits the possible governments of Greece to governments that are pro austerity and accepts the Troika writing the laws of Greece. On pain of economic blockade through a banking system made illiquid.
The Eurogroup is democratic? I used to be afew. I'm still not many.
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