European Central Bank

Eight of the twenty-three analysts surveyed by business channel CNBC-e expect the Central Bank of Turkey (CBT) to cut its policy rate of 8.25 percent at the monetary policy committee?s rate-setting meeting on Jan. 20.

By George Georgiopoulos

Greece's central bank has moved to protect its banks from any fallout from the coming general election, asking the European Central Bank to approve a stand-by domestic emergency funding line, a Bank of Greece official said on Saturday.

By Mike Peacock

After a head-spinning bout of volatility, next week will be dominated by one question: Will the European Central Bank take the ultimate policy leap or pull its punches?

The ECB could launch a government bond-buying program with new money as soon as its Jan. 22 meeting, although Greek elections three days later are a complication.

By Jana Randow

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi briefed German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on quantitative-easing plans under which national central banks would buy bonds issued by their own country, Spiegel magazine reported.

Arne Delfs, Nikos Chrysoloras & Rebecca Christie

Chancellor Angela Merkel is convinced that Greek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras will do business with other euro-region governments if he wins next week?s election, German officials said, as a cash crunch looms for his country.

The European Central Bank has devised a bond-buying program that will be acceptable to Germany, which has voiced deep reservations about the measure, the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday.

SYRIZA?s economic policy chief sought to soothe concerns on Friday, vowing that the leftist party has no plans to take unilateral action should it form a government after next Sunday?s election, adding however that it would have until July to hammer out a deal with creditors before serious liquidity problems arise.

The next Greek government could be offered a six-month bailout extension, while a third loan package might be put together by the troika, according to reports on Friday.

Two major Greek lenders applied to tap the national central bank's emergency funding a year after ending their reliance on it, a precautionary move stemming from deposit outflows before an election this month, bankers said on Jan. 16.

 FinMin warns of cash crunch in March, as ?the money isn?t there?

By Sotiris Nikas

Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis issued a fresh warning on Thursday about the need to safeguard the cash flow in the Greek economy, while European Central Bank board member Ewald Nowotny and European Parliament Vice President Olli Rehn said there is no chance of a Greek debt haircut.