jean - claude trichet : inauguration of the “ language of money ” exhibition and the euro exhibition speech by mr jean - claude trichet, president of the european central bank, at the inauguration of the “ language of money ” exhibition and the euro exhibition at the museum fur kommunikation, frankfurt am main, 10 march 2010. * * * ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, it is a great pleasure for me to be here today at the museum fur kommunikation in frankfurt for the inauguration of two exhibitions. first, it is a particular honour for me, in my capacity as patron, to open the “ language of money ” exhibition. and, of course, it also gives me great pleasure to open the european central bank ’ s euro exhibition. these two complementary exhibitions share similar themes, of interest to me as a central banker. they explore the history, practicalities and overall role that money plays in our lives, and are indeed both very enlightening. whatever language we speak, there is no doubt that money plays an important role in communication, conveying messages directly or indirectly about our society, our status and our values. the “ language of money ” exhibition examines the role that money plays in our lives. naturally i am very interested in the language of money and, in particular, the language of the euro. the euro should speak both of europe ’ s diversity and its common culture, its history and its future. and indeed it does, through the architectural motifs on our banknotes and the cultural symbols on the national sides of our coins. take the name “ euro ”, for instance. when choosing the name, it was purposely decided that it should not favour any specific language, but speak rather of europe. and so the word “ euro ” entered our vocabulary : a new word for a new european currency. today, of course, the word does not seem new at all. the euro has become one of the most tangible elements of europe for the 330 million european citizens who use the euro as their common currency on a daily basis. since the creation of the euro, it has also become clear how important a role the single currency can play in the realisation of an ever closer union among the peoples of europe. the number of countries participating in economic and monetary union has grown over the years and today the euro is used in 16 member states of the european union, covering an area that stretches from cyprus to ireland and from portugal to finland. the euro also has

in pursuing both sides of our dual mandate. as i conclude, i want to assure you that i am mindful that monetary policy decisions affect communities, families, and businesses across the country. i highly value opportunities to visit places like lafayette college and easton to share my views, hear from you, and see how the economy is experienced firsthand in your community. i remain fully committed to supporting maximum employment and bringing inflation sustainably to our 2 percent goal. our success in delivering on these goals matters to all americans. thank you. u. s. economic outlook and monetary policy philip n. jefferson vice chair, federal reserve board lafayette college, february 4, 2025 disclaimer : the views i will express today are my own and not necessarily those of the federal open market committee ( fomc ) or the federal reserve system. u. s. economic outlook and monetary policy philip n. jefferson vice chair, federal reserve board lafayette college, february 4, 2025 disclaimer : the views i will express today are my own and not necessarily those of the federal open market committee ( fomc ) or the federal reserve system.