Last Council meeting of the ECB chief: Only one German gets praise from Draghi

One can only guess how much Mario Draghi have added to the attacks from Germany in recent years. Any personal word on that, the outgoing president of the European Central Bank (ECB) has apparently banned itself. Only a small, bitter joke he has left at the press conference after his last Council meeting this Thursday.

"You clearly have some critics in Germany ...", a journalist asks the question, the Draghi quickly with an ironic "Oh, really?" interrupts.

For years, the Italians in Germany have had to listen to the German savers being impoverished by his policy of low interest rates and to empty their accounts like a vampire's bloodstreams of his victim.

Especially distinguished with such comparisons is the "picture" newspaper. Shortly after taking office, in March 2012, the sheet Draghi had handed over a Prussian Pickelhaube to remind him of alleged German Spartugenden. On this Thursday, the newspaper indignantly demanded the return of the gift: "That's enough," headlined the page on page 2. "We want our spiked helmet back, Mr. Draghi." Underneath you sang as usual the song from the expropriated saver.

When asked, Draghi countered in German: "Gifts are given," said the Italian. He plans to keep the hood. For what occasions he wants to wear them in the future, but he did not betray unfortunately.

"She will do it very well"

Draghi and Germany - that never really matched. Although his seat as ECB chief was Frankfurt, the Italian spent as little time there as possible in recent years. And as often as he was asked to say something about his relationship with Germany this Thursday, he preferred to remain silent. That, too, is a statement.

For a German Draghi had, however, downright exuberant praise left: Isabel Schnabel, the economics professor, who, according to the will of the Federal Government as a German representative move to the ECB's Board of Directors and replace there just retired in disagreement with Draghi Sabine Lautenschläger.

Tobias Schwarz / AFP

German economist Schnabel: "We should warmly welcome you"

"Isabel is an excellent economist and will do a great job," Draghi said. "We should warmly welcome your nomination."

The 48-year-old Schnabel is to join the governing body of the central bank - and has defended the ECB in the past against the fierce criticism from Germany. That "politicians, journalists and bankers reinforce the narrative, the ECB steal the German savers their money, which is dangerous," she recently told the "Handelsblatt" (read a portrait of Isabel Schnabel here).

Schnabel will get a boss at the ECB, which should continue the previous course of the central bank: The Frenchwoman Christine Lagarde should take on November 1 Draghi succession as ECB president and has already made clear in which direction it should go. Anyway, Lagarde will not have a big choice: the economy in the euro area is currently heading downwards - in such a situation, the leeway of a central bank is very limited.

What Draghi intends to do when he retires, he left open on Thursday. He did not know yet, said the 72-year-old visibly annoyed by all the personal issues. "If you want more information, ask my wife."