Italy (2008) Capital Injections
The Journal of Financial Crises: Vol. 3 : Iss. 3, 228-253
Yale Program on Financial Stability Working Paper Forthcoming
27 Pages Posted: 13 Dec 2021
Date Written: November 12, 2021
Abstract
In response to the 2007–09 Global Financial Crisis, in October 2008, the Italian government announced urgent measures to guarantee financial stability and the flow of credit. The Italian government targeted three areas of support: (1) bank recapitalizations, (2) liquidity access, and (3) expansion of guarantees on bank deposits. This case study exclusively examines the Italian bank recapitalization scheme introduced in December 2008 in line with European Union State Aid rules.
The four Italian banks recapitalized in 2009 under the scheme were Banco Popolare (€1.45 billion), Banca Popolare di Milano (€500 million), Credito Valtellinese (€200 million), and Banca Montepaschi di Siena (€1.9 billion), for an overall amount of €4.05 billion. The government purchased special bonds issued by banks. These bonds became known as “Tremonti bonds,” and Italian regulators agreed to treat them as core Tier 1 regulatory capital.
Keywords: banks, capital injections, financial crisis, Italy, recapitalization, Tremonti bonds
JEL Classification: G01,G28
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation