It is a pleasure to be here today for the 75th anniversary of the Bundesverband deutscher Banken. When this association was founded, Europe was emerging from the most devastating period in its modern history – and was about to enter a golden age of peace and economic growth. Today we face more uncertainty about which direction Europe will take than at any point since then. And much of that uncertainty is coming from beyond our borders. When historians look back at this period, what will stand out is the sheer relentlessness of it. A once-in-a-generation pandemic, followed by a land war on our continent, followed by ... (full story)