UniCredit-Commerzbank deal should be judged on financial strength - Bank of Italy
(Reuters) - The European Central Bank should evaluate any deal between Italian lender UniCredit and Germany's Commerzbank purely based on the solidity of the resulting bank rather than national interests, ECB policymaker and Governor of the Bank of Italy Fabio Panetta said on Wednesday.
Europe's banking union is crucial for merger push, says German banks group head
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Progress on European banking union is vital to policymakers' push to encourage cross-border mergers because banks will only be able to leverage synergies if there is a common market for their services, the head of Germany's banks' association said.
Germany denies report it is mulling law to protect banks from foreign takeovers
MILAN (Reuters) -Germany's finance ministry on Sunday denied that the country was considering introducing a law to protect domestic banks from cross-border takeovers as Italy's UniCredit seeks a merger with Germany's Commerzbank.
UniCredit overtures hold few fears for Germany's Mittelstand
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Commerzbank says its role as a key lender to the swathe of "Mittelstand" midsize companies that drive Europe's top economy is grounds to resist UniCredit's overtures. But Mittelstand leaders themselves are less convinced.