Ladies and gentlemen, The topic we are about to discuss – the digital euro – is of utmost importance to the Eurosystem. It undoubtedly deserves significant attention. Let me share with you a brief anecdote of how this became really clear to me: A few years ago, I was flying with Lufthansa from Morocco to Germany – a European airline, flying to Europe. After we reached our cruising altitude, the usual announcement was made: cabin service would begin and duty-free items would be available for purchase. Only digital payments with Mastercard, Visa, Apple Pay or Google Pay would be accepted. That left me wondering: why is ... (full story)