The Credit Agricole has broken its silence on Bank Bpm and proposes an amicable merger with its own controlled Italian entity, creating a third banking pole in Italy with over 6.5 million clients and more than 2,300 branches. The Credit Agricole is traditionally accustomed to acting prudently and without straining, but it has moved ahead of the political and electoral results of the 2027 Policies and on a particularly sensitive political dossier, counting on favorable terrain in this regard. According to what Reuters reported, Crédit Agricole informed the Italian government of the proposal for a merger between its controlled Italian entity and the Piazza Meda. Thus, as we will see now, the response of Bank Bpm. The merger proposal must therefore pass from the board of Piazza Meda, which, precisely in recent days, for the CEO Castagna's voice, had said that it was time for the Agricole to make the first move. It is a new chapter in the Italian banking risk. The Credit Agricole breaks its silence and proposes an amicable merger with its own controlled Italian entity, creating a third banking pole in Italy with over 6.5 million clients and more than 2,300 branches. The operation would bring 'Crédit Agricole' from the current 29.6% to around 45% of the capital resulting from the merger, significantly strengthening its weight in the shareholding from the current 29.6%.

On the industrial front, the French estimate €800 million in annual synergies and an increase of about 24% in BancoBpm's earnings per share in 2027, according to the hypotheses indicated in the proposal. This is a major novelty in the intricate consolidation process of the Italian banking sector, which today is living a decisive chapter with the Opas of Intesa Sanpaolo on Mps. The transalpine banks, traditionally accustomed to acting prudently and without straining, have therefore moved ahead of the political and electoral results of the 2027 Policies and on a particularly sensitive political dossier, counting on favorable terrain in this regard.