SIMPLIFYING BANKING REGULATION TO STIMULATE EUROPEAN GROWTH
Banking is not a speculative actor, but rather a stable creditor serving the real economy: families, small businesses, and large corporations rely on its financing to grow. Since its inception, the banking sector has been a key ally of public administrations in achieving high-impact social objectives such as the green transition, digitalization, anti-money laundering efforts, and asset freezes.
The normalization of interest rates has brought about a positive shift for society as a whole. It has enabled better capital allocation toward profitable investment projects, strengthened the solvency of the banking sector, increased its attractiveness to investors, and enhanced its ability to withstand external shocks. As a result, European banks are now better prepared than ever to navigate an increasingly uncertain international environment marked by trade barriers and the urgent need for reindustrialization.
In this new landscape, banking will play a decisive role in Europe’s industrial recovery, its progress toward greater strategic integration, and the modernization of its defense capabilities.
This transformation will require ambitious financing, leading to increased issuance of euro-denominated bonds, which will attract international capital and strengthen demand for our common currency.
At the same time, the digital euro project is gaining new momentum. The shift in the geopolitical landscape highlights the urgent need to reduce fragmentation in current digital payment systems and to consolidate a monetary infrastructure that enhances Europe’s strategic autonomy.
All these challenges and opportunities—including regulatory simplification, the promotion of European banking champions, the role of regional banks, the financing of common security, and geoeconomic expectations—will be analyzed at our upcoming forum, which will bring together the CEOs of Spain’s leading banks, along with senior representatives from governments, international financial institutions, academia, and industry experts.
