Search Mark
Home / Industry Dynamics

Swiss Finance Minister Flags Risks in Winding up Global Banks


Today’s News

Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has raised concerns about the legal complexities involved in winding up global banks 

Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter highlighted the importance of addressing legal risks when winding up global banks. 

Image Source: Bloomberg
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter highlighted the importance of addressing legal risks when winding up global banks. 
Image Source: Bloomberg 

In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, she discussed the need for international standardization of rules for banks considered “too big to fail” to ensure they can be systematically dismantled if necessary.  

Keller-Sutter is actively engaging with the Financial Stability Board and finance ministers from various countries, including Germany’s Christian Lindner, to address these issues. 

“I’d like to raise awareness that winding up (a bank) may sometimes not be possible due to international legal risks. In the case of Credit Suisse, that was clearly a risk,” Keller-Sutter stated. She expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of compulsory creditor participation in recapitalization, commonly known as a “bail-in,” particularly in relation to major U.S. banks. 

“The equity backing of the foreign subsidiary must be so large that it can be sold or liquidated in a crisis without damaging the Swiss parent company. That was exactly the problem with Credit Suisse,” she explained.  

The collapse of Credit Suisse significantly impacted financial markets and led to its acquisition by UBS, prompting the Swiss government to implement new measures for managing too-big-to-fail banks. Recently, UBS has seen an improvement in its financial outlook, with S&P revising its rating to stable from negative. 

Other News

Italy’s Asset Sales Struggle to Reduce Debt 

Italy’s strategy to sell state assets, including stakes in Poste Italiane and Ferrovie dello Stato to reduce its public debt may fall short of its USD 22 billion goal due to political and regulatory challenges. 

FCA Revises Controversial Naming Strategy 

The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority is scaling back its plan to name companies under investigation after facing strong opposition, concerned about the potential negative impact on London’s financial sector. 

Court Overturns SEC Fund Disclosure Rules 

A federal court nullified SEC rules requiring enhanced disclosure from private equity and hedge funds, ruling the SEC exceeded its authority, which could significantly affect future regulatory actions. 

Share to

Industry Dynamics

Russian Court Freezes Raiffeisen Bank Shares, Halting Sale Plans

Russian court has frozen the shares of Raiffeisen Bank International's (RBI) local subsidiary, blocking the sale of the bank's Russian unit and intensifying tensions between Moscow and the West.  

2024-9-6 | Industry Dynamics

Biden To Block Nippon Steel's Acquisition of U.S. Steel

The Biden administration is preparing to announce that President Joe Biden will block Nippon Steel's USD 14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel due to national security concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter.  

2024-9-5 | Industry Dynamics

Global Stocks and Oil Plunge on Growth Fears

Asian stocks and global stock futures tumbled on Wednesday, led by significant losses in technology shares, as renewed concerns over global growth drove investors away from riskier assets. Oil prices also hit multi-month lows, reflecting sluggish demand from the world's top consumers, China and the United States. 

2024-9-4 | Industry Dynamics