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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Unpaid debt from pandemic-stricken borrowers has ravaged profits at Europe’s big banks and kick-started a debate among politicians about whether they may ultimately need state help.
FILE PHOTO: European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni attends a media conference in Brussels, Belgium November 18, 2020. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool/File Photo
Reflecting on the pandemic impact, many bank executives say the worst is behind them, with Societe Generale CEO Frederic Oudea and BNP Paribas CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafe predicting an imminent rebound.
“Optimism is ... a weapon of war,” Philippe Brassac, chief executive of Credit Agricole said in January, decrying “doom-mongers”. “And this war, we can win.”