It may not be part of the struggling eurozone but Sweden is suffering its very own Europe-related problems. Its finance minister, Anders Borg, tells The Banker why he does not want the UK to leave the EU, what difficulties could be posed by the formation of a banking union and where the responsibility for bailing out banks should lie.

The brand value of US banks has reached a new high, while emerging economies such as Brazil and China also stand out in this year’s Top 500 Banking Brands ranking. 

Luxembourg’s finance minister, Luc Frieden, talks to Brian Caplen about solving Greece’s financial problems, the prospects for a European banking union and the need to find a balance in financial regulation. 

Emilio Botín, the chairman of Banco Santander, explains how the bank's geographical diversification and philosophy of operating standalone subsidiaries has helped it thrive during the worst years of the crisis, and stand it in good stead for the future.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder thinks that the rest of Europe needs to follow the reform programme he pioneered for Germany. This, coupled with the establishment of a true political union, will help Europe's damaged economy to recover and rebuild itself.

Austria's government, driven an agenda to ensure that tax-payers do not pay for the financial crisis, which has seen it implement strict measures to fast-track compliance with Basel III rules, appears to show no sign of relenting in its dealings with the country's embattled banks.