Thomas Jordan: Switzerland – developments and challenges in 2012 from a monetary policy perspective Speech by Mr Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Swiss National Bank, Berne, 26 April 2013. *  *  *  Mr President of the Bank Council Dear Shareholders Dear Guests Once again, the European financial and debt crisis has dominated events of the past year. And, once again, the Swiss National Bank has been faced with considerable challenges in the conduct of its monetary policy. The crisis in Europe intensified in spring and summer and triggered strong upward pressure on the Swiss franc. This was pressure we had to withstand. In an already fraught global economic environment, an appreciation of the Swiss franc would have caused an inappropriate tightening in monetary conditions for Switzerland. This in turn would have compromised price stability and had potentially serious consequences for the Swiss economy. The SNB therefore enforced the minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20 per euro with the utmost determination. This called, at times, for a high level of activity on the foreign exchange market on the part of the SNB. The extensive purchases of foreign currency were reflected on our balance sheet. In my remarks today, I would like to start by addressing the key developments and challenges in 2012 from a monetary policy perspective and, at the same time, present you with our assessment of the current year.
The purchase programme alone cannot solve the crisis. However, it has significantly reduced tail risks, such as the exit of one or several countries from the monetary union, and it buys governments more time to implement fiscal consolidation and structural reforms. The affected countries have already made some concrete progress in this regard. However, it is clearly too early to relax our guard. The global economic situation is still fragile and the way out of the crisis in Europe is long and arduous. In many countries – not just in Europe – there are still a number of unanswered questions with regard to the medium-term growth outlook and the sustainability of public finances. And while we expect the global economy to recover gradually this year and the Swiss economy to grow by 1–1.5%, considerable uncertainties remain. The Swiss franc is still high, even at today’s level. In view of the fragile international environment, the downside risks for the Swiss economy remain substantial. In particular, the threat that the franc could suddenly come under upward pressure again has not been averted. The minimum exchange rate is an important instrument in helping to prevent an undesirable tightening in monetary conditions. The SNB will therefore continue to enforce the minimum exchange rate with the utmost determination and, if required, is  2  BIS central bankers’ speeches  prepared to buy foreign currency in unlimited quantities for this purpose. It stands ready to take further measures at any time.