Germán Bernácer Prize

The Bernacer Prize is awarded annually to European young economists who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of macroeconomics and finance. The prize is named after Germán Bernácer, an early Spanish macroeconomist.

The prize was created in 2001 by the Observatory of the ECB (OBCE, Observatorio del Banco Central Europeo), a nonprofit association of economists that aims at promoting the public debate on the policies of the European Central Bank and, more broadly, on the problems the European economy is facing, with the aim of improving the quality of economic policies.

The German Bernacer prize was established in 2001 to recognize the work of young economists from the European Union and to stimulate research on European macroeconomics and financial issues. Modelled on the John Bates Clark Medal, prizewinners are economists under the age of 40.

The prize includes a diploma and a cash award of €30,000. From the first edition of the prize to the 10th edition, the prize was sponsored by Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo (CAM). Since the 11th edition the sponsor has been Banco Santander.

Prizewinners usually receive the diploma directly from the Chairman of the Selection Committee together with a representative of the sponsor and/or the Governor of Bank of Spain, at a solemn ceremony award in Madrid. The diploma contains a text in English with the name of the laureate and a citation of why they received the award. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the award ceremony of the 19th and 20th editions took place in virtual format.

After twenty one consecutive editions, the Bernacer Prize is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards for European economists.