Since the financial crisis in 2007–08, central bank balance sheets in advanced economies have expanded significantly. This expansion has not led to inflation risks (at least not to date), but it has raised concerns about financial stability, which have been especially vocal in the euro area....

This paper studies the relationship between the business cycle and financial intermediation in the euro area. We establish stylized facts and study their stability during the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. Long-term interest rates have been exceptionally high and...