Thomas Groß, president of the Association of German Public Banks, sees rising risks for the German economy. In an interview with Handelsblatt he addressed growth problems and possible advantages for public banks.
The year 2026 was meant to mark an economic upswing in Germany. Instead the outlook has clouded. „The danger that we will see no or only very low growth for the fourth year in a row has risen markedly“, Thomas Groß told Handelsblatt.
Groß, who also heads Helaba, cited the Iran war, high energy prices and trade uncertainties from US tariff policy as reasons. He warned that continued stagnation into 2027 could put more companies in distress.
Groß viewed a possible Unicredit takeover of Commerzbank positively. Uncertainty at a competitor could benefit other banks in customer business and staff recruitment.