Egypt's tumultuous political landscape of the past 18 months has, predictably, had an impact on it banks. However, the sector has shown impressive resilience since the Arab Spring uprisings, focusing on SME lending and commercial activities with some degree of success. But with foreign investors staying away and further political upheaval still a possibility, the country's rebuilding process still has some way to go.

The availability of bank credit for small and medium-sized enterprises is often seen as a relative strength of the German economy, but borrowers themselves seem to harbour anxieties about their banks.

The Danish banking sector is adapting to new requirements that mean it must hold more capital and conform to yet more rules. While few in the industry doubt that the system must be more robust, concerns are increasingly being voiced that the country’s banks are having to adjust to more stringent regulations than their EU counterparts, and at a faster pace. 

Christophe Mianné, the new deputy of Société Générale’s corporate and investment banking operation, is targeting a change in mindset as much as a change in structure.