Consolidation of the Banking Sector in Poland: Threat or Opportunity?

Abstract

The prevailing opinion in the years prior to the recent financial crisis was that extensive consolidation of the banking sector is a good solution in a time of economic slowdown. Creating large banking structures was justified by possible economies of scale connected with mergers and acquisitions. A further argument was that larger banks can diversify their activities and therefore better adapt to changing market conditions – as well as increase their resistance to potential banking crises. As a consequence, banking sector concentration has become an important issue both in discussions and in the literature. Yet no clear answer regarding the optimal structure of the banking sector has been provided. Taking into account changes in the domestic banking market, this article describes the phenomenon of concentration, sets out possible directions for future developments and discusses their potential consequences.