Bank of Italy’s Panetta: No evidence so far that large banks tighten credit supply

Panetta's remark is a signal about the burden of proof rather than a finding: with no supporting detail offered, the claim rests on the Bank of Italy's own monitoring, which markets cannot independently verify from this alone. It matters most for borrowers at the margin and for the consolidation debate, where the credit-supply question is the main objection to further bank mergers. The open question is whether subsequent Bank of Italy commentary or data substantiates the assessment, and whether scrutiny shifts from lender behavior to demand-side or regulatory drivers of credit access.