Leaders | The great balancing act

Central banks face an excruciating trade-off

They have to choose between financial instability and high inflation. It wasn’t meant to be that way

Mandatory Credit: Photo by SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (13840861r)US Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell concludes a press conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting at the William McChesney Martin Jr. Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, DC, USA, 22 March 2023.  Powell announced a 0.25 percentage point interest rate increase.Powell announces a 0.25 percentage point interest rate increase, Washington, USA - 22 Mar 2023
Image: EPA

The job of central bankers is to keep banks stable and inflation low. Today they face an enormous battle on both fronts. The inflation monster is still untamed, and the financial system looks precarious.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The great balancing act”

From the March 25th 2023 edition

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