As Mario Draghi seeks to form a new government, the banking system must cope with a deep recession and political turmoil.
Western Europe
Latest articles from Italy

Illimity CEO focused on opportunities in SME banking space
August 5, 2020Corrado Passera, the founder and CEO of digital bank Illimity, believes focus is important and has identified potential among small and medium-sized companies, clients he claims traditional banks have underestimated.

What Italy can learn from the rise in digital payments
May 26, 2020With pandemic driving online activity, the financial sector should support businesses’ digital infrastructure.

ABI brings Italian banks onto the blockchain
March 4, 2020The head of innovation at the Italian banking association talks about a real-life application of distributed ledger technology to drive efficiency in an interbank reconciliation process.

Italy’s finance minister eyes China as Europe tensions grow
June 3, 2019Italy’s finance minister talks to The Banker about his government’s disagreements with Europe and advancing Italian involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Recovering UniCredit makes return to form with bond bonanza
May 1, 2019UniCredit's restructuring programme has paid off, enabling the Italian bank to return to the market with a handful of regulatory capital deals.
Why more banks must support the circular economy
March 1, 2019The circular economy is a disruption to to the business model that Intesa Sanpaolo is supporting, its CEO Carlo Messina writes, and more banks should be doing the same.
Why Italy’s banking problems are Europe’s banking problems
February 1, 2019Italy’s financial challenges are far from unique, and are in fact shared by some of its neighbours, writes Giorgio Di Giorgio of the Arcelli Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies.
Italian job unfinished, but progress is being made
January 17, 2019Italy’s banks have done well to reduce exposure to NPLs in recent years, but there remains much work to be done. Katrien Van Hoof reports.

Lorenzo Codogno: Why Italy’s budget brings major sustainability risks
January 2, 2019The Italian coalition government's strategy is unlikely to improve the economy in the long run, says London School of Economics visiting professor Lorenzo Codogno.