While Mario Draghi kept talking justifying the course of ECB policy decisions (or indecisions, as some might want to put), the ECB released staff projections for GDP growth. Here they are, in full glory:
Source: @fwred
So, that poverty of low aspirations has now been firmly replaced by the circular forecasts: 2015: 1.5% to 1.4% to 1.5%; 2016: 1.9% to 1.7% to 17.%, 2017: 2.1% to 1.8% to 1.9%, whilst inflation expectations are now ‘anchored’ in the proverbial ditch. Meanwhile, Mr Draghi says:
Just as the Euro went through the roof on USD side and with it, Europe's 'exports-led recovery' went belly up.
Though never mind. The bigger headache (that few Europeans can even spot) is that the ECB forecasts are talking about 'growth' at below 2 percent with all this QE and with inflation at extremely low end. Which makes the whole exercise of monetary and fiscal policies activism... err... academic. For as far as I know, no donkeys are allowed to compete in Kentucky Derby.
