Mutual banks  Italy’s 394 mutual banks and 3 mutual-bank central credit institutions account for 10 per cent of loans to households and firms, a bigger share than the third largest Italian banking group. This role of mutual banks is even more important in the case of small firms, accounting for almost 20 per cent of total lending.
It is now plain to see that the rules and norms which have governed international relations since the Second World War are being challenged – replaced by a new power politics where large economies try to impose their will on smaller ones. In such a world, it is undeniable that the EU amplifies the sovereignty of its members.