Baron Alexandre Lamfalussy of Belgium, President of the European Monetary Institute (EMI) in Frankfurt from 1994 to 1997, holds aloft a sheet of banknotes printed in the new single currency.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1985 to 1993 and President of the European Monetary Institute (EMI) from 1994 to 1997, describes the main decisions taken during his term as President of the EMI, particularly the monetary policy instruments and preparations for a European monetary policy strategy.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, Economic Adviser and Head of the Monetary and Economic Department of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1976 to 1985, discusses the reasons he joined the BIS in 1976 and explains the nature of his role at that time.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, Economic Adviser and Head of the Monetary and Economic Department of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1976 to 1985, discusses the consequences on the scope of action of the BIS brought about by the Jamaica Accords. These agreements, signed on 8 January 1976, marked a break with the Bretton Woods system by providing a legal basis for the system of floating exchange rates practised since 1973, formalising the demonetisation of gold and enshrining Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) as an international reserve asset.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1985 to 1993 and President of the European Monetary Institute (EMI) from 1994 to 1997, describes the method employed by Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1994, to obtain the support of the Heads of Government of the main Member States — particularly the Federal Republic of Germany — so as to enable the introduction of a single European currency. He goes on to speak about the direct support offered by Helmut Kohl when Lamfalussy was President of the EMI.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1985 to 1993 and President of the European Monetary Institute (EMI) from 1994 to 1997, describes the nature of relations between the EMI, the Member States of the European Union and the Council of Economic and Finance Ministers during the establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). He also discusses his relations with Belgian authorities during his terms of office at the BIS and the EMI.

In this interview, Alexandre Lamfalussy, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1985 to 1993 and President of the European Monetary Institute (EMI) from 1994 to 1997, identifies the differences between the establishment of Economic and Monetary Union and other historical examples such as the Latin Monetary Union, the creation of the Reichsbank in 1876 and the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union.