At a meeting of the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel addressed the geopolitical challenges currently being faced. Speaking at a joint press conference with the new Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil in Banff, Canada, Mr Nagel said that while global economic activity had still been fairly robust at the start of the year, benefiting from the anticipatory effects of announced tariffs, the world economy was now struggling in the face of tightened US tariff policies and great uncertainty.

The Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) breaks new ground with the release of the first ever short-term climate scenarios. They provide a detailed view of how climate change and climate policies could affect the global economy and financial system in the near future.

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €34.1 billion in March 2025, up €7.8 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to larger surpluses in the goods account and especially in invisible current transactions, which comprises services as well as primary and secondary income. 

Chemnitz is the European Capital of Culture 2025. To mark the occasion, the Regional Office in Saxony and Thuringia is organising a range of events at the Bundesbank’s Chemnitz branch. In addition to a coin exhibition and an art exhibition, there will be a panel discussion with Bundesbank Executive Board member Burkard Balz. 

Economic output in Germany was up in the first quarter of 2025, the Bundesbank writes in its latest Monthly Report. Exports of goods, in particular, but probably also investment and private consumption increased. However, the Bundesbank economists expect the economy to more or less stagnate in the second quarter. This is due to the wide range of burdens that persist and the additional headwinds caused by the tightening of US tariff policy.