Turning to liquidity provision: in advanced countries (but, again, the lesson is more general), we have learned that runs are relevant not only for banks, but also for other financial institutions, and for governments. In an environment of high public debt, rollover risks cannot be excluded. An implication, and one of the themes emphasized by Paul Krugman, is that it is essential to have a lender of last resort, ready to lend not only to financial institutions but also to governments. The evidence on periphery sovereign bonds in the Euro area, pre and post the European Central Bank’s announcement of outright monetary transactions, is quite convincing on this point.
I cannot say that I agree. In fact, I cannot say that I agree with a single point that he makes in the essay. But he represents the consensus.