The managements of Pekao Bank and BRE Bank, tow of the largest banks in Poland, are understood to be discussing a possible merger. Neither bank would comment. The idea of merger was considered once before, when the main shareholders in Pekao (UniCredito Italiano) and BRE (Commerzbank) discussed a merger of their own.
Unicredito Italiano President Carlo Salvatori stated recently that the Italian bank remains keen to expand in east and central Europe and that, where the opportunity arises, mergers can be expected.
If the Pekao and BRE merger went through, the two banks would jointly form the largest financial institution in Poland.