A few days ago the news of what could be the new danger pending on Italian banks. A few lines of an amendment inserted by the European Commission within the rules on banking regulation with which it is proposed that the EBA (the European Banking Authority) may, if it deems it appropriate, change the degree of riskiness of Government Bonds, which therefore could see their rating reduced. In this case, the holding banks would be called upon to make new and substantial capital increases to meet the increased capital requirements.
“This scenario is penalizing precisely for Italian banks – reads a note from Assopopolari – which hold approximately 400 billion euro in public securities and which, given the impossibility of further recourse to the capital market, would be forced to sell off the securities held, with significant impacts on the already fragile income statements. It is paradoxical, however, that just as the new administration in the United States seems to want to pursue a policy in favor of local banks, distinguishing them from the large investment and investment banks, and that even in Europe, many are beginning to recognize too restrictive an attitude on the rules of Supervision, the European Commission continues along a path of great dirigisme, not worrying about the negative effects on the economic growth of the Union”.
According to the Secretary General of the National Association of Popular Banks, Giuseppe De Lucia Lumeno, "the signals coming from the United States underline how the irreplaceable role of the banks that operate in the area in favoring the development of small and medium enterprises has been fully understood and households, as well as the entire economy. A lesson that should also be learned by us, here in Europe and, in particular, in Italy, by promoting a set of rules which undoubtedly ensure the stability of the banking and financial system, but which do not represent an obstacle to the historic role of banks of the territory, such as cooperative banks, in promoting the growth of local economies and in constituting a fundamental element of social cohesion for the communities".
