1024 GMT - European banks are well placed to help drive faster growth across the continent, Santander's chair says at a conference hosted by the Spanish bank. "Higher growth makes the European Union stronger because it gives us choices," Ana Botin says. A strong economy can fund welfare, social services and defense. She identifies energy security as the first premise for growth. Banks play a key role given their close relation with customers and small and medium enterprises. They can allocate capital better than governments, she adds. "My message is: European banks, we are doing our job," she says, pointing to their competitiveness and efficiency while still providing good returns to shareholders. She warns that the "greatest single financial stability risk" today is the lack of growth combined with high debt. (elena.vardon@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 04, 2025 05:29 ET (10:29 GMT)

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