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Mario Draghi's German problem
In early October, European Central Bank board member Benoit Coeure paid a discreet visit to the Chancellery in Berlin to express concerns about rising criticism of the bank from German politicians. The Frenchman, one of ECB President Mario Draghi's closest allies in Frankfurt, hoped for reassurances that the bank bashing, led by Finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, would stop. But the message from Chancellor Angela Merkel's advisers was not entirely comforting, according to one official familiar with the discussion. Merkel would continue to refrain from questioning the ECB's policies in public. But the broader ... (full story)