Karim writes:
This is correct. The Bundesbank voting no is technically equivalent to Lacker dissenting at every FOMC meeting this year. It would be a bigger statement if dissents came from the Executive Board (the equivalent of Yellen dissenting vs a regional Fed bank president).
ECB’s Hansson Says Germany Can Be Outvoted on Governing Council
By Ott Ummelas
August 3 (Bloomberg) — European Central Bank policy maker Ardo Hansson, who heads Estonia’s central bank, said Germany c be outvoted on the ECB’s Governing Council.
“There are 23 members in the council and if there will be a vote then everyone’s vote has the same weight in the sense that some questions are solved by a majority,” Hansson told Eesti Rahvusringhaaling radio today when asked if new ECB bond purchases can be approved without German support.
While there was unanimity on the council to investigate options in the coming month, “there could be differing views of details and these would need to be solved in negotiations,” Hansson said. He also said purchases will focus on “relatively short-term debt instruments.”