Introduction Dear Mr Zeidler Dear Mr Le Grazie Ladies and gentlemen First of all, I would like to thank the Consul General for hosting this event here at his impressive residence in São Paulo. Mr Zeidler, I must say, this is a stunning working environment – congratulations.
For my part, this event is an auspicious occasion where I would like to officially thank Mr Marc Rennert as the departing Bundesbank representative and welcome Mr Eike Berner as his successor. 2. News from Europe and from the European banking sector But I would also like to use this opportunity to sketch recent developments and, specifically, the state of Europe and European banks.