Yves Mersch (born 1 October 1949 in Luxembourg City) is a Luxembourgian jurist and lawyer who has served as Governor of the Central Bank of Luxembourg since the bank's formation in 1998. In that capacity, he also sits as a member on the European Central Bank's Governing Council and General Council.[1] He has been regarded as relatively hawkish on interest rate policy.[2]
On 19 March 2008, Mersch admonished banks for inappropriate risk management, but perhaps more unusually struck a doveish tone with regard to the future path of the European economy.
In late June, 2011, speaking while at the annual general meeting of the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Mersch said, "it is chaos," when asked what would happen if Greece were to default on its debts. He was described as "a key member" of the ECB Governing Council in the report.[3]
Mersch studied international law in Paris and is member of the Luxembourgish bar. He is married and has two children.[1]