Germany should remember to respect ECB independence - Sapin

ECB has won crucial legal support for its pledge to buy government bonds

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Thursday that Germany should remember to respect the independence of the European Central Bank after the head of Germany's central bank said its action was subject to legal limits.

The ECB has won crucial legal support for its pledge to buy government bonds, a measure supported by the French government but criticised by some German policymakers.

“The Germans have taught us to respect the independence of the European Central Bank,” Sapin told France Info radio. “They must remember that themselves.”

Reuters