The Romanian banking system still has the capital resources and resilience needed to support the economy and customers in a context marked by inflation, high costs and geopolitical tensions, but this ability to absorb shocks cannot be maintained indefinitely, says Dana Dima (Demetrian), Executive Vice President of Retail at BCR. «Returning to small companies and individuals, I remain optimistic that banks and the banking system so capitalized in Romania can support a difficult period, even geopolitical, and this is noticeable. Not indefinitely, and this is a clear position, we cannot stay like this for years or even another year, but we certainly know how to absorb this effect», said Dana Dima (Demetrian) at the ZF Bankers Summit 2026.
What else Dana Dima (Demetrian) said:You might also be interested in: ♦ This year’s increase, even from the first quarter, in our case, practically one in three Romanians took a real estate loan, says a lot about the resilience of the banking system, about the positioning of banks, small and large, because each one has a role. The competition is extraordinary and can come to support not only the lending area, but also the banking area. ♦ We have fierce competition. We are not just a banking system and that’s it. We have large payment companies in Romania that come and develop the fiscal or financial relationship with Romanian clients, with natural persons, not necessarily through the banking system. In short, we are resilient in a time when things are not so simple. We are ready, we have enough capital in Romania, we have potential. We have to walk a little more in education. A little more. ♦ What makes me happy and I see clearly throughout the year 2026 is that those customers who came and applied for a loan, for financing, either real estate or consumer, are those customers who are much better prepared than 10 years ago. So the education area has its say. They don’t soar when they don’t see stability. ♦ Each percentage of market share is built with great difficulty and is kept with great difficulty, so that when we talk about market consolidation and, respectively, the evolution of the banking system, it is not about a marketing campaign, it is about very serious things. Because, really, at the moment when the margin is affected in the market, at the moment when there are these geopolitical pressures and we all have a limited perspective vis-à-vis stability, certainly the relevance of each bank in the system matters a lot. ♦ Maximum 30% of the Romanian population has credit in Romania. (…) We must talk about an integral, universal Romania, which is 100%, not just 30%. ♦ We build market share through loyalty and by developing a primary relationship with these customers who have chosen to bank with us. ♦ When we decided to grow organically, we had a fear that it would be very difficult, difficult I could say, especially in such a very good competition. But in the end I think it’s the healthiest. And I’m glad that we succeeded, although we are part of an international group, where we have European regulations that we have to follow very strictly, we still managed, through an effort of loyalty and organic growth, to stay at the top.
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