The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that political candidates in Canada and the United States are jeopardizing the independence of their central banks, which is concerning for voters. The Globe's guest columnist Katherine Lake Berz writes that she visited Turkey for the first time in 10 years, and everywhere she saw the tragedy of what happens when central-bank independence is lost. Hundreds of abandoned construction projects and high food prices are devastating the poor. Ibrahim Torum's kebab restaurant had only one customer for dinner. Due to rising costs, he had to raise the price of a kebab from 100 to 250 Turkish lira and take on heavy borrowing to stay afloat. This is a result of President Tayyip Erdogan's politicization of monetary policy. He has consistently pressured Turkey's central bank to lower interest rates, despite economic theory suggesting that raising rates would control inflation. He has replaced six bank governors since 2019 due to his unorthodox policies. Meantime, domestic inflation surged to more than 85 per cent in 2022. Economist Paul Krugman argues that central banks need independence to implement unpopular policies, such as those required to maintain currency stability.
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