Linde corrects himself and admits that freezing bank accounts “is almost impossible”
The Bank of Spain Govenror, Luis Maria Linde, corrected his previous statement and admitted that “freezing bank accounts” if Catalonia becomes an independent country is a very “improbable, almost impossible” situation. Linde’s clarification comes after his statements last week assuring that Catalonia would face a ‘corralito’ in the event of independence. He added this Wednesday that he wasn’t “that worried” about this possibility nor is “anybody else in Europe”. Following Linde’s warning, a group of six prestigious economists asked for the Governor’s resignation and recalled that Linde’s task should be “promoting financial stability” rather than “influencing thevoters’ decisions”.
Barcelona (CNA).- “Freezing bank accounts” if Catalonia becomes an independent country is a very “improbable, almost impossible” situation, admitted Bank of Spain Governor, Luis Maria Linde. This statement comes after Linde himself warned about the risk of facing a ‘corralito’ if Catalonia were to become an independent country. “I’m not that worried about it and at the moment I don’t think it worries anybody else in Europe” he clarified this Wednesday. Linde’s warning was responded to by a joint communicate written by a group of six prestigious Catalan economists in which they attributed Linde’s statements to “political motivations” and asked for his resignation.
The Bank of Spain Governor Luis Maria Linde corrected himself this Wednesday and admitted that “freezing bank accounts”, which he warned of last week, is a “very improbable, almost impossible” thing to happen in the event that Catalonia becomes an independent country. Linde added that this is not a question that worries him much, nor anybody else in Europe “at the moment”. He also denied that the European Central Bank had written a document guaranteeing Catalonia’s remaining within the Eurozone in case of independence.
A joint communicate asking for Linde’s resignation
“Central bankers shouldn’t influence the voters’ decisions, their task is to promote financial stability instead”, stated the six economists who signed the joint communicate. Amongst them were University of Columbia’s Professor Xavier Sala-i-Martín, International Economy Research Centre Director Jordi Galí, London School of Economics Professor Gerard Padró, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies Professor Albert Marcet and Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies Professor Jaume Ventura.
In their joint communicate to the Catalan newspaper ‘Ara’ they assured that Linde’s statements had a “political motivation” which “could destabilise the entire Spanish banking sector”. For this, they ask for Linde’s resignation.