Marcel Fratzscher: the DIW Berlin chief shaping Germany's economic debates
Marcel Fratzscher has led Berlin's German Institute for Economic Research since 2013, and from the Greek bailout crisis to Germany's 2025 spending packages he has remained one of the country's most persistent voices on economic政策.
Marcel Fratzscher is a German economist who has been president of DIW Berlin, the German Institute for Economic Research, since 2013. He previously headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank and is a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin.
Marcel Fratzscher has led DIW Berlin, the German Institute for Economic Research, since 2013, making him one of the most persistent public voices in Germany's economic debates. The Berlin-based institute's president has spent more than a decade weighing in on the country's fiscal policy, its role in the eurozone and the question of who should pay for Germany's future. Fratzscher arrived at DIW Berlin from the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, where he headed the international policy analysis department. He is a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin and teaches international finance in the Ph.D. programme in economics at Goethe University Frankfurt. His commentary has reached international audiences through outlets including the Financial Times, Deutsche Welle and the Irish Times. His interventions remain timely. In 2025, according to Börsen-Zeitung, he called for an independent fiscal council for Germany, and he has commented on financial packages funding infrastructure and defence investment. Reports also say he proposed that baby boomers should pay more.
The economist at the head of DIW Berlin
Marcel Fratzscher has led DIW Berlin, the German Institute for Economic Research, since 2013. Based in Berlin, the institute is one of the country's leading economic research bodies, and his presidency has placed him at the centre of German economic debate for more than a decade.
Alongside the institute role, he holds a professorship at Humboldt University of Berlin and teaches international finance in the Ph.D. programme in economics at Goethe University Frankfurt. Before moving to DIW Berlin, he headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
That combination of academic posts and policy experience has made him a fixture in public discussion. Over two decades, he has commented regularly in German and international media on the questions occupying Europe's largest economy, from the eurozone crisis to the state of Germany's public finances.
From the ECB to Berlin's top economics institute
Before taking charge of one of Germany's most influential economic think tanks, Marcel Fratzscher worked at the heart of European monetary policy. He headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, a role that gave him a close view of the eurozone's inner workings.
In 2013 he moved to Berlin, becoming president of DIW Berlin, the German Institute for Economic Research. The Irish Times reported on his takeover of the institute in 2014.
Alongside the DIW presidency, Fratzscher holds a professorship at Humboldt University of Berlin. He has also taught international finance in the Ph.D. programme in economics at Goethe University Frankfurt, keeping a foot in Frankfurt, the city where his central banking career was based. The combination of policy experience and academic posts has shaped his profile as an economist who moves between research, teaching and public debate.
Headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt
Became president of the Berlin-based economic research institute DIW Berlin
Irish Times reported on his takeover as head of the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin
Deutsche Welle published an interview with him during the dispute between Greece's finance minister and eurozone partners over extending the country's bailout
Financial Times published a piece in which he discussed negative aspects of the German economy
Participated in an INOMICS questionnaire feature alongside Olivier Blanchard
Called for the creation of an independent fiscal council in Germany in a Börsen-Zeitung interview
Commented on German financial packages intended to fund additional investment in infrastructure and the armed forces
Proposed, as president of the German Institute for Economic Research, that baby boomers should pay more
A voice in the eurozone's hardest debates
Fratzscher has repeatedly stepped into Germany's most charged economic arguments. In February 2015, as Greece's finance minister clashed with eurozone partners over extending the country's bailout, Deutsche Welle published an interview with him. The briefing does not detail what he said, but the timing placed him at the centre of the bloc's fiercest dispute of that period.
Three years later, he turned his attention homeward. In March 2018, the Financial Times published a piece in which Fratzscher discussed negative aspects of the German economy — a notable intervention from the head of one of the country's leading research institutes, at a time when Germany was more often praised than criticised. The specific weaknesses he identified are not recorded in the available sources.
Fiscal councils, defence spending and the baby boomers
In more recent years, Fratzscher has kept up a steady presence in Germany's economic policy debates. In June 2024, he took part in an INOMICS questionnaire feature alongside Olivier Blanchard, according to the site.
By 2025, much of his attention had turned to the state's finances. In an interview published by Börsen-Zeitung in March 2025, he called for the creation of an independent fiscal council in Germany, the newspaper reported. Around the same time, according to reports, he commented on German financial packages intended to fund additional investment in infrastructure and the armed forces.
He has also weighed in on how the costs should be shared across generations. As president of the German Institute for Economic Research, he proposed in 2025 that baby boomers should pay more, according to reports of his remarks.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Marcel Fratzscher?
Marcel Fratzscher is a German economist who has been president of DIW Berlin, the Berlin-based economic research institute, since 2013. He is a professor at Humboldt University of Berlin and teaches international finance in the Ph.D. programme in economics at Goethe University Frankfurt. Before leading DIW Berlin, he headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
When did Marcel Fratzscher become head of DIW Berlin?
Marcel Fratzscher became president of DIW Berlin, the Berlin-based economic research institute also known as the German Institute for Economic Research, in 2013. The Irish Times reported on his takeover as head of the institute in 2014. The exact date in 2013 when he assumed the presidency is not given in the available sources.
What did Marcel Fratzscher do before joining DIW Berlin?
Before taking over DIW Berlin, Marcel Fratzscher headed the international policy analysis department at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. The sources do not provide the start and end dates of that tenure. He moved from the ECB to the Berlin institute's presidency in 2013.
What has Marcel Fratzscher said about German fiscal policy?
According to Börsen-Zeitung, Fratzscher called in a March 2025 interview for the creation of an independent fiscal council in Germany. He also commented on German financial packages intended to fund additional investment in infrastructure and the armed forces. Reports from 2025 also say that, as president of the German Institute for Economic Research, he proposed that baby boomers should pay more.
What media appearances and interviews has Marcel Fratzscher given?
Deutsche Welle published an interview with him in February 2015, when Greece's finance minister was in dispute with eurozone partners over extending the country's bailout. The Financial Times published a piece in March 2018 in which he discussed negative aspects of the German economy. In June 2024, he reportedly participated in an INOMICS questionnaire feature alongside Olivier Blanchard.
Compiled from reporting by 10 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
