The Spanish Financial System

The book analyses the Spanish financial system from the turn of the last century to the present day and the economic, social and political backdrop to this history. The result is a consummate survey of historical developments leading right up to today's key issues and challenges, and to what the future may hold.

This paper assesses the stability of the Spanish financial system as a whole. Spain’s banking system has been steadily progressing since the last Financial System Assessment Program. The authorities have made a significant reform effort. Together with the economic recovery, and support by the European Central Bank’s accommodative policies, the banking system has strengthened its solvency and advanced in reducing nonperforming loans. It is critical to keep the reform process moving and to build on the advances made during 2012–16. Completing the restructuring of bank balance sheets is a priority. Enhanced monitoring and supervisory attention to interest rate and liquidity risks are also merited.

This report summarizes the findings of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) Update for Spain. Although there is a core of strong banks that are well managed and appear resilient to further shocks, vulnerabilities remain. Substantial progress has been made in reforming the former savings banks, and the most vulnerable institutions have either been resolved or are being restructured. Recent measures address the most problematic part of banks’ portfolios. Moving ahead, a further restructuring and recapitalization of some of the remaining weaker banks may be needed as a result of deteriorating economic conditions.

'This is a remarkable book, engrossing and exceptionally well organized. The argument is clear, elegant, and subtle. My guess is that Banking on Privilege will quickly earn a place as one of the standards of comparative political economy.'—Peter McDonough, Arizona State University 'This wonderfully researched study of the mutual accommodation between private and central bankers in Spain offers a compelling alternative to state and market-driven conceptions of financial regulation and reform. The author's careful theoretical crafting and mastery of historical detail assures this book a place beside the works by Zysman, Loriaux, Woo, and a few others on a narrow shelf of essential texts about the comparative political economy of financial systems. No serious observer of financial and monetary reform in Europe can afford to ignore this impressive book.'—Mauro F. Guillen, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania 'This is a thoroughly researched and meticulously argued piece of scholarship that contributes much substance to our knowledge of finance and financial reform in other countries and brings many provocative ideas to theoretical debate.'—Michael Loriaux, Northwestern University

This Technical Note discusses the findings of the Financial Sector Assessment Program about interconnectedness and spillover in Spain’s financial system. Financial intermediaries in Spain are interconnected through conglomerate ownership, common exposures, and inter-sectoral claims. The main source of cross-sectoral connectedness appears to be insurance companies’ exposures to banks, while exposures of banks to insurers or to mutual funds appear limited at present. Empirical analysis using both exposure and market data suggest strong cross-border interconnectedness. Contagion within the domestic interbank market appears to be limited at present. There are also strong cross-sectoral linkages between banks and other parts of the financial system in Spain, but systemic risks from those linkages appear to be limited.

This book analyses the formation of the Spanish banking system. It provides a general overview of European financial systems in operation during the mid-nineteenth century, followed by a detailed analysis of the economic and institutional changes that gave rise to a new form of banking in Spain. The chapters analyse changes on banking regulation; study the social origin of banks’ promoters; investigate the economic results of banks; and evaluate the interaction between banks and the economy as a whole. Finally, the causes, extent and consequences of monetary plurality in Spain and its European context are discussed. As such, this book covers the gap that exists in the Spanish banking historiography. Until now only the Bank of Spain and its predecessors had been adequately examined. As the Bank of Spain acted mostly as the state’s financial agent, we know very little about private-sector financing. This text provides data and analysis for a more comprehensive view of early Spanish financial development in a comparative European framework. The Origins of Modern Banking in Spain should be considered essential reading for financial history students and scholars, as well as anybody interested in longview approaches to modern financial development.

This paper discusses key findings of the progress report on financial sector reforms in Spain. Spain’s European Stability Mechanism (ESM)-supported program of financial sector reform aimed to assist economic recovery by promoting financial stability. The program was adopted in mid-2012. The Spanish authorities’ implementation of the program has been steadfast. All of the program’s specific measures are now complete. Major structural reform efforts in a variety of areas (including labor and fiscal policies) will need to continue to achieve sufficiently rapid growth to bring unemployment down to reasonable levels over the medium term.