Negative interest rates in the context of deflation threats

The introduction of negative interest rates, as an additional tool of unconventional monetary policy in recent years, leads to many, yet largely polarized debates about the implications of the unconventional monetary policy of central banks. The main reason for their introduction in some economies, namely the threat of deflation, is also questioned, as well as the negative side effects of this instrument on financial stability and economic growth, and finally, their limited scope is under scrutiny. Due to the still insufficient research in this field, the aim of the diploma thesis is to evaluate the concerns and the main long-term risks and impacts of the monetary policy using negative interest rates in the context of deflation threats. The analysis of available data confirms both the concerns about the negative effects of negative interest rates on the banking sector, the recovery process of public finances, the possible rise of a price bubble on the financial markets and real estate markets, or on the possibility of excessive risk taking, and on the other hand draws attention to the direct dependence between negative impacts and the duration of monetary policy using negative interest rates.