In Europe, ageing is progressing at a very fast rate: in Italy, the old age dependency ratio has risen from 12 per cent in 1950 to more than 35 today; in Germany, from 14 to 32 per cent.
All our support for the banking sector is geared to stabilising the real economy in the financial crisis in order for price stability to be ensured and, by way of consequence, for jobs to be retained. We are therefore calling on the banks to strengthen their balance sheets and lend.