Banking crisis: is the French banking sector at risk?

On March 10, Silicon Valley Bank, better known as SVB, went bankrupt. It was the 16th largest bank in the United States, with clients overwhelmingly made up of entrepreneurs in the technology sector, as its location in the heart of the Silicon Valley suggests. She collapsed in less than 48 hours. How is it possible ? The bank in question was the victim of what is called a “bank run”.

In fact, this phenomenon results in a massive and sudden withdrawal of funds from a large number of the bank’s customers, as reported by our colleagues from franceinfo. Some customers had previously learned of a strategic mistake by the SVB leaders: it was therefore a massively propagated lack of confidence that was at the origin of this series of withdrawals. The American authorities hastened to provide assistance to the banking sector in order to restore calm following the wave of relative panic that had taken hold of it.

Shortly after, 10 days to be exact, a major upheaval was once again felt in the banking sector, this time in Switzerland. Indeed, on Monday March 20, the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS was announced, as reported by our colleagues from TF1. A certain concern hangs over which will be the next bank concerned…

The president of the French Banking Federation Philippe Brassac wanted to be very reassuring on the air of France Inter on Saturday March 18. Indeed, a phenomenon of contagion between the different banks of the world is pure speculation, and French institutions fear nothing. A message that was relayed in particular by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.