THE REACTION CAPACITY OF BANKS IN THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Lorenzo BINI SMAGHI Ancien membre du Directoire et du Conseil des gouverneurs, Banque centrale européenne (BCE) ; chercheur, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs et Istituto Affari Internazionali. Contact : lorenzo.binismaghi@snam.it

Like any unexpected shock, the Covid-19 crisis confronts banks with two major challenges: the first is the short-term resilience of the system, i.e. its ability to absorb the shock, and the second is the ability of banks to rebuild their capital cushions in the medium term, in order to be ready for any possible new shock. In the current context, banks also face a third challenge related to the fact that they are an integral part of the policy response. They are called upon to play an active role in the implementation of monetary and financial assistance provided by central banks and treasuries to the real economy. This article discusses these three challenges.