willem f duisenberg : time to say goodbye address delivered by dr willem f duisenberg, president of the european central bank, on the occasion of a special ecofin dinner to pay tribute to his leadership of the european central bank, venice, 29 october 2003. * * * it is time to say goodbye. after more than five years of steering the ecb through the high seas, it is time for me to return to port and drop my anchor in more tranquil waters. over the past few weeks, a lot of people have asked me how i feel about retiring. i have told them that my feelings are mixed. half of me, wim duisenberg the private man, wishes that i had gone already. as you know, i had announced my intention to retire already last july. but for the other half of me, wim duisenberg the central banker, it will be more difficult letting go. without a doubt, the last five years have been the pinnacle of my career. it has been an honour and a privilege to be the first president of the european central bank ; to be bestowed the task of rearing, nurturing, and then guarding europe ’ s young currency. europe has made history and i have been given a place at the heart of it. i couldn ’ t ask for more than that. in years to come, history will be the judge of our success, or our failure. i hope that history will be kind. * * * the last few years have already been littered with outstanding achievements. it was not so long ago that most people doubted that the single currency would ever see the light of day. then, when they saw that it would, they speculated that only a few countries would be able to join. but they underestimated the resolve of european governments to be part of this great step forward in europe ’ s history. since then, we have witnessed the two changeovers ; the introduction of the euro in book - entry form and then in the form of banknotes and coins. both went smoothly, not because they were easy, but because of the hard work of all involved. and of course, for nearly five years now, we have had a single monetary policy conducted by the european central bank for the euro area. during this time, the bank has not been without its critics. i have not been without my critics. the nature of that criticism depended on which newspapers you read. if you read the anglo - saxon press

the digital euro in payments as well as citizens'broad access to the digital euro across the euro area. these are important issues for co - legislators to consider in their discussions. conclusion let me conclude. the digital euro is more than just a eurosystem initiative, it is a common european project. it would allow us to ensure that money and payments remain trusted, secure 3 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches and efficient in a rapidly changing digital environment. and by doing so, the digital euro would essentially serve wider public policy objectives, such as strengthening europe's strategic autonomy and economic efficiency. to realise this vision, we must all play our part, striving for the best possible alignment between policymakers, bearing in mind our respective roles and mandates, and always seeking broad support from european citizens. the timely adoption of a legal framework for the digital euro would give all stakeholders the necessary legal certainty to prepare for its possible introduction and send a strong sign of political support. i'm convinced that combining our strength and continuing to work together towards this common vision of a digital euro is the best way to manage the transition to the digital age. thank you. 4 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches