Central Banks and Financial Stability: New Role, New Mandate, New Challenges?

Both the central bank strategic framework and doctrine have been challenged by the recent financial crisis. Their focus on price stability was too narrowly defined and insufficient considerations were given to financial stability. When key interest rates reached their zero lower bound, central banks had to resort to non-conventional measures, leading them to err far away from their legal mandate. Paradoxically, this strategic framework has not been questioned so far. The central bank mandate has even been extended to factor in macro-prudential policy and, in some cases, micro-prudential responsibilities. The main challenge raised by the centralization of all these regulatory powers is the extent to which central banks will be able to carry out all their duties in full independence. However, independence is key for the success and the implementation of central bank core missions : price stability and lender of last resort.