The economic view from Europe: A conversation with Pablo Hernández de Cos, governor of the Bank of Spain

Buffeted by an energy price shock triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s economy is suffering sluggish growth and annual inflation of above eight percent. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde recently said, “Inflation is a monster that we need to knock on the head.” Despite a strong recovery in 2021-2022 as tourism rebounded, Spain’s GDP remains below its pre-COVID level.

On Monday, April 10, Spanish central banker Pablo Hernández de Cos will speak at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy. Following his remarks, he will talk with Hutchins Center Senior Fellow Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti and take questions from the audience. Viewers may submit questions by emailing events@brookings.edu, on Twitter using the hashtag #SpainEconomy, or at sli.do using the code #SpainEconomy.

Hernández de Cos has spent his entire career in central banking in Europe and has been governor of the Bank of Spain and a member of the governing board of the European Central Bank since 2018. He is also chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. He has a law degree from the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia and a Ph.D. in economics from the Complutense University of Madrid.