We use a Bayesian dynamic latent factor model to extract world, regional and country factors of real interest rate series for 22 OECD economies. We find that the world factor plays a privileged role in explaining the variance of real rates for most countries in the sample, and accounts for the...

In the recent decade, a huge amount of papers, describing monetary policy rules based on nominal interest rates, has been written. As it is, however, well known, it is in fact the real and not the nominal interest rate, that can influence spending decisions of enterprises and households and thus...

In this paper we analyse the potential for lending booms in three biggest new EU member states (Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) during the process of Euro adoption. Experience of old members (Greece, Ireland and Portugal) as well as econometric evidence speak in favour of strong increases in...

In this paper we discuss selected aspects of Poland's road to the euro zone. Our attention focuses on the proper design of macroeconomic policy during the accession period. We address the issue of entering ERM II, with special attention to the choice of central parity, fluctuation bands,...

The paper analyses the potential for lending booms in the three biggest new EU Member States (the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) during the process of euro adoption. Experiences of some old members (Greece, Ireland and Portugal) and the econometric evidence speak in favour of strong loan...

We use data on enterprise level from a survey of medium sized and big companies to test for downward nominal wage rigidity in Poland. We find relatively weak support for downward nominal wage rigidity when average total compensation in the enterprise is taken into account. However, since this...

Incorporating financial intermediaries, with their ability to generate shocks and frictions, into macroeconomic models has recently gained substantial attention of the profession. In this commentary I ask whether the models we generated are ripe to provide valuable, quantitative advice to...