“Independent accountability’ assumed that the ECB's tasks are fundamentally technical in nature and clearly and narrowly defined, leaving it with little discretion. In that logic, it is primarily the ECB's clear and narrow Treaty mandate that ensures its democratic legitimacy, justifying that accountability arrangements were kept to a minimum. However, in light of the fundamental changes that monetary policy has undergone since the global financial crisis, the rationale for ‘independent accountability’ has become less clear-cut”