Greece's Ministry of National Economy and Finance backs Euronext takeover of the Athens Stock Exchange and calls for faster EU Savings and Investment Union

Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance published remarks by the Minister of National Economy and Finance from a discussion with Euronext Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Boujnah at Morgan Stanley’s investor roadshow in London, endorsing Euronext’s proposed acquisition of the Greek stock exchange. The Minister linked the deal to the EU’s Savings and Investment Union agenda, arguing that making it effective requires not only regulatory and institutional changes but also a shift in approach to accelerate cross-border mergers and acquisitions and support the creation of European “champions”. The Minister described the acquisition as strategically important and “emblematic”, saying it should provide access to a broader pool of liquidity and act as a catalyst for growth for Greek companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises. He also called for the removal of barriers between EU member states within the single market and reiterated the government’s emphasis on fiscal discipline. Boujnah framed the integration of Greece’s capital markets and surrounding ecosystem into Euronext’s single market as a natural step to address the country’s historically isolated markets, stressing “scale and speed” and citing Euronext’s total market capitalisation of EUR 6.5 trillion, which he said is more than double London’s.