In this timeline of measures to preserve monetary stability since 1800, 1848 marks a turning point because, with the opening of branches in Bordeaux and eight other French cities, the Banque de France became the central bank for the entire country, for three reasons: First, it unified local payment systems by creating a single nationwide multilateral settlement system through its branch network. Banknotes then circulated over all the French territory with the same value, and the ability to transfer money between branches slashed and standardised the cost of wire transfers for economic agents. Second, it could perform in each financial centre a single supervision of what was essentially local banking businesses, greatly lessening the financial instability that had plagued France off-and-on between the fall of the Empire and the Revolution of 1848.7 Harnessing its in-depth knowledge of business and banking communities, which was shared between each branch and the head office, the Bank was able to implement prompt corrective actions or step in to ensure the recovery or resolution of struggling financial institutions. Faure, Edgar, 1977, La Banqueroute de Law, 17 juillet 1720, Paris, Gallimard “Trente journées qui ont fait la France” for a complete description of the Law system, and Courtois, 1875, previously cited, on attempts to set up a central bank before the Banque de France. 6 Sargent, Thomas and François R. Velde, 1995, Macroeconomic Features of the French Revolution, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 103, pp.
Ardian Fullani: Monetary & financial stability policies – lessons from the crisis Speech by Mr Ardian Fullani, Governor of the Bank of Albania, at the 8th International Conference of the Bank of Albania: "Monetary & Financial Stability Policies – Lessons from the Crisis", Tirana, 17 September 2009. *  *  *  Honourable Mr. Prime Minister, Dear Governors, Distinguished guests, I feel deeply privileged to open the proceedings of the 8th International Conference of the Bank of Albania entitled: “Monetary & Financial Stability Policies – Lessons from the Crisis”. I hope the proceedings will help the participants better realize the issues facing the global economy during this period and draw the proper lessons. I am personally convinced that the prominent speakers’ reputation is a guarantee in this regard. Before I invite the guests to discuss the features and lessons drawn from the global and regional crisis according to their viewpoints and experiences, allow me to say a few words on this conference. The topic chosen to be dealt with in this conference is at the forefront of the institutions’ agenda, responsible for macroeconomic policies and financial system surveillance at a national and international level. The panic that followed the Lehman Brothers’ failure almost a year ago transformed the turmoil in the U.S. mortgage loan market into a genuine globalwide financial crisis.