The difficulties caused by the pandemic are exacerbating the pressure on the banking sector, which has been driven – in Italy and elsewhere – to review its business models to make them more sustainable and suitable for the profound changes under way. Banks are also responding to these challenges through restructuring plans and possible mergers and acquisitions.
We are following this process closely, including within the Eurosystem, not to guide its outcome in any way according to pre-established programmes, but to ensure that it produces stronger banks that are therefore better able to support the economy and foster its return to a path of sustained and high growth.