European Central Bank's #AskECB session brings out the Twitter jokers

The European Central Bank has been trying to get more user friendly via Twitter.

On Monday Executive Board member Benoit Coeure responded to a raft of questions tweeted out with the hashtag #AskECB.

This is the first time the European Central Bank has taken to social-media, though the Bank of England has done it several times in the past.

Most of the questions were serious and focused on the Bank’s monetary policy. They drew snappy answers in 140 characters or less on subjects like helicopter money, deflation risks, stimulus measures and ultra low interest rates.

.stanjourdan</a> "Helicopter money" not a well defined concept but likely to blur the line with fiscal policy. Never discussed. /BC <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/askECB?src=hash">#askECB</a></p>&mdash; ECB (ecb) December 12, 2016

But there were wackier tweeted queries – including about the colour of ECB head Mario Draghi’s ties during his news conferences; they are seen by some in the financial world as providing clues as to policy.

#AskECB Does Mr Draghi put as much thought into his tie choices as some of the ECB watchers seem to imply?

— Dario Perkins (@darioperkins) December 9, 2016

That didn’t get a response from Benoit Coeure.

Draghi’s long-winded and technical answers to questions at those news conferences also provoked a tweet.

#askECB why does your boss require so much time to answer simple yes or no questions. ecb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WhistleIRL">WhistleIRL

— Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (@lukeming) December 12, 2016

And the jokers took full advantage of the #AskECB session to ask the unanswerable.

#askECB
What color is this dress? pic.twitter.com/CKtFjGr5ys

— Ivan the K™ (@IvanTheK) December 12, 2016

A twitter user in Greece used the opportunity to pretend to be the German finance minister with more of an order than a question about the ECB quantitative easing stimulus measures.

Hello! This is Wolfgang Schäuble. Close your QE account. #AskECBhttps://t.co/vPovUuekKR

— konel_vlachar (@konel_valar) December 12, 2016

The current political crisis in Italy brought this plea for the Italian ECB President to leave Frankfurt and head for Rome.

Is there any chance of you letting Mario come back to Italy? We do need a new Prime Minister, you know… #AskECB

— Dad O'Square (@dadosquare) December 12, 2016

The fact that ECB also stands for England Cricket Board led to a question about that game and a redirect from the Bank.

. notayesmansecon</a> Hear it didn&#39;t go so well. But ask <a href="https://twitter.com/ECB_cricket">ECB_cricket /BC #askECB

— ECB (@ecb) December 12, 2016