This paper illustrates and discusses the monetary policies activated in response to the COVID-19 crisis. We argue that these policy measures have stabilised the European economic and financial system by incentivising banks’ lending to households and businesses and by indirectly creating short-term fiscal capacity also for those Member States of the euro area that have a very high government debt/GDP ratio.

This paper was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on 18 March 2021.

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