Hans Tietmeyer

As former president of the German Central Bank and junior minister of finance Hans Tietmeyer came to the forefront of monetary politics at the time the euro was conceived. He was and is seen as a stern defender of policies that made the D-Mark into a stable and hard currency. He continued to stress the importance of a solid euro even if, in the long run, it would mean member states would face severe economic reforms.

After his time in public office he continued work in the public sphere as advisor to a number of committees and expert groups on monetary affairs and (public) finance. Hans Tietmeyer also became active in the boards of several larger companies and banks, and accepted several positions at academic institutions. He has received numerous awards and honours for his work on financial and monetary issues, and his public service.

It is a great honour and pleasure for me to address you here in Utrecht this evening. Holding a Europe Lecture in The Netherlands is really something special. In your open-minded, lively and progressive country, European spirit and culture are at home. Since the establishment of the European ‘Community of six’, your country has certainly ranked among the most integration-oriented nations in the EU. So it comes as no surprise to find that some of the most momentous decisions have been taken under Dutch presidencies.

Particularly in the field of monetary integration, European history has undoubtedly been written in The Netherlands."