9th Banking Industry Meeting

BANKING: BEYOND THE CRISIS

At the last edition of the Banking Industry Meeting, there was considerable talk about how the Spanish banking industry had “gone through major restructuring” in order to emerge with a “smaller, more robust system.” One of the challenges for the banking industry over the medium term was the banking union, considered “a key step for monetary union.” It was also said that Spain was braving the recession with few expectations of a change in the situation over the short term.

Since then, major changes have occurred and not just on the economic scene. Progress has been made on the single supervisory mechanism as the first step in the consolidation of the banking union. Monetary union also seems to have been strengthened, though there is still a problem of market fragmentation within the eurozone.

We are now forced to look to the future, examine the opportunities of a truly European banking market and reflect on the role of Spanish banking within this new context. The 9th IESE Banking Industry Meeting constitutes a unique opportunity to explore these topics and contribute suggestions on the strategic action to be taken.