Ribera, serving as executive vice president and second to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, implements antitrust policy throughout the 27-nation bloc. Her statements differ from her superior’s efforts to support European business “champions” capable of competing with China’s leading exporters and U.S. tech giants.
The Spanish commissioner pointed out that the fragmentation of national markets, not the bloc’s merger rules, hindered industrial restructuring in sectors like telecoms.
“There needs to be evidence of future benefits beyond merely wanting to grow big,” she stated.
Ribera warned member states against exploiting guidelines’ resilience and security exceptions to favor domestic entities.
“We encourage national competition authorities and governments to exercise great caution in interpreting this,” she remarked.
Her comments come after Italy intervened in UniCredit’s attempt to acquire local rival Banco BPM, and Spain imposed conditions on BBVA’s efforts to acquire Sabadell. Both instances led to Commission legal actions, arguing that the respective governments violated EU rules on the freedom of establishment and capital movement.
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