By Cristina Gallardo

The Spanish government is seeking feedback on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's bid for Banco Sabadell, Spain's prime minister said.

The government will welcome views on the proposed acquisition from individuals, businesses and organizations, Pedro Sanchez said Monday at the annual meeting of Catalan business group Cercle d'Economia in Barcelona.

"We are in favor of companies growing and gaining volume, but as long as they don't harm citizens," he said.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Sabadell Chairman Josep Oliu described the government's consultation as "positive."

Spain's competition watchdog last week cleared BBVA's acquisition of Sabadell, putting the final decision on the year-long takeover battle in the hands of the government.

The CNMC, which flagged that a combination of the two Spanish banks would threaten competition in certain parts of the retail banking and payments markets, concluded that the remedies put forward by BBVA to address its concerns are "adequate, sufficient, and proportionate to solve the problems that this concentration poses."

The Spanish government has opposed a tie-up and has 15 working days to trigger a phase 3 probe under which it can impose extra conditions on the grounds of public interest. The state can't stop the purchase of Sabadell shares by BBVA but can block a legal merger.

Write to Cristina Gallardo at cristina.gallardo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 05, 2025 07:55 ET (11:55 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.