But the right time to privatise it needs to be found, in order to maximise income for the Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring (FROB) and the State. It’s not up to me to decide when it will be privatised.
In my opinion, however, it’s important that it is done in the end or, at the least, that there is a consistent message that it will be done when the time is right. The ECB wouldn’t consider a publicly owned bank. The issue of whether it’s a publicly owned bank or a private bank is a decision for the government.