Show menu

Hans Degryse

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Dir. HIlgers - Prof. Degryse

    This article is based on the interventions of Jean Hilgers (National Bank of Belgium) and Professor Hans Degryse (KU Leuven) during the Webinar on the Macroprudential and Financial Stability Report of the National Bank of Belgium (June the 3rd, 2021).

  • Thursday 5/11/2020
    Hans Degryse

    COVID-19 puts firms under severe strain in countries where the pandemic continues to hit. The initial reaction was to provide outright transfers and liquidity support to weather this perfect storm. We argue that a focus on the solvency of firms and sectors is needed. We discuss several avenues on how to improve firm solvency such as conditional transfers and a pandemic equity fund. We further argue that support policies should avoid a further zombification of the economy: preserve firms (and jobs) that have a post-COVID-19 viable business model. Redirecting resources to the future engines of growth is desirable. Banks, policy makers and businesses face a balancing act to keep firms and sectors with “post-corona viable business models” liquid and solvent. At the same time, policymakers should avoid zombification and allow for creative destruction such that firms with “post-corona non-viable business models” are reorganized or liquidated.

  • Wednesday 1/7/2020

    How Banks and Financial Technology Are Reshaping Financial Markets.

  • Tuesday 2/6/2020
    Hans Degryse

    Covid-19 has hit health systems and economies all over the world. To weather this crisis, the financial sector encompassing Febelfin, the National Bank of Belgium and the minister of finance installed a financial bazooka of €50 billion on March 22, 2020. In contrast to some other countries such as Switzerland, this bazooka did not work out as expected. In this short note, we make an evaluation and go deeper into potential drivers behind this failure. We conclude by making some alternative suggestions.