Finance

Germany Says Commerzbank Takeover Could Curb Mittelstand Loans

The German government has been advocating for Commerzbank’s independence.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

A senior German official said he’s worried about risks for the country’s economic backbone of small and medium-sized enterprises if Commerzbank AG were to be acquired by UniCredit SpA.

If the headquarters of a combined lender were no longer in Frankfurt, decisions might be made at the expense of borrowers in Germany, Deputy Finance Minister Michael Schrodi said at a panel discussion in Berlin.