Dutch Central Bank Admits It Has Prepared for A New Gold Standard
The comments below are an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by Jan Nieuwenhuijs
Holland’s central bank (the DNB) has equalized its gold reserves relative to GDP to other countries in the eurozone and outside Europe. This is a political decision. If there is a financial crisis gold will skyrocket, and gold reserves can be used to underpin a new gold standard, according to the DNB. This confirms Nieuwenhuijs’s view about central banks being prepared for a new international gold standard.
Wouldn’t a central bank that has one primary objective—maintaining price stability—serve its mandate best by communicating that the currency it issues can be relied upon in all circumstances? By saying gold will be the safe haven of choice during a financial collapse, the DNB confesses its own currency (the euro) does not weather all storms. Indirectly, the DNB encourages people to own gold to be protected from financial shocks, making the transition towards a gold-based monetary system more likely.
Up for discussion: How to prepare for a gold standard; the DNB comes clean on gold strategy; and the transcript of an interview between Aerdt Houben, Director of Financial Markets for the DNB, and Anna Dijkman.