Merz Slams UniCredit for Destroying Trust in Commerzbank Bid

Friedrich Merz in Berlin on May 7.
Photographer: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/AP Photo

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By Michael Nienaber

May 7, 2026 at 2:40 PM UTC

Updated on

May 7, 2026 at 3:27 PM UTC

Chancellor Friedrich Merz reinforced his criticism of UniCredit SpA’s bid for Commerzbank AG, saying the Italian lender was destroying trust as it attempts to take over Germany’s second-largest bank.

The center-right leader pointed to a recent decision by German financial regulator Bafin ordering UniCredit to stop publishing “misleading advertisements” in connection with its bid to take over Commerzbank.