From the Maastricht Treaty to CBDCs with Arno Wellens

With a degree in business administration, Wellens first worked as a banker and accountant before branching off into investigative financial journalism. His journalistic beat covers the EU, international real estate and investment fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering through the banking system, among other “financial quandaries.” His 2014 book, The Euro Evangelism, traced the history of the European monetary union, the banking crisis, and unsustainable debt levels. In this interview, we discuss how Wellens came to understand CBDC risks and the dangers of central financial control, as well as what the EU and European Central Bank (ECB) are doing to roll out CBDCs, despite significant resistance from both the public and some leaders. Both of us agreed that our conversation barely scratched the surface—stay tuned for a “Part II” later this year. Arno Wellens’ website: The Euro Bible by Arno Wellens: