Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 26, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
The Dutch central bank is open to foreign takeover bids for Dutch banks, with President Olaf Sleijpen emphasizing a rational evaluation approach.
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Dutch central bank would not immediately block any foreign takeover bid on a Dutch bank, if that situation would occur, its president Olaf Sleijpen said in an interview with Dutch financial daily FD published on Friday.
"Without going into any individual case, if there is a takeover bid we will look at it rationally," Sleijpen said.
Bloomberg earlier this week reported that Belgian lender KBC Group was mulling a potential acquisition of Dutch rival ABN Amro.
Even though KBC said it was currently only exploring an acquisition of insurer Ethias NV, the report sparked the question whether Dutch authorities would allow a foreign takeover of a major bank.
"We support the capital markets union and feel the banking union needs to be finalized," Sleijpen said. "That means that you can't suddenly say: 'wait a minute' if it happens to involve a Dutch bank."
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by GV De Clercq)
A central bank is a national institution that manages a country's currency, money supply, and interest rates. It oversees the banking system and implements monetary policy to stabilize the economy.
A foreign takeover bid occurs when a company from one country offers to purchase a company in another country. This can involve significant regulatory scrutiny and approval from local authorities.
A banking union is a framework that aims to integrate the banking systems of multiple countries, ensuring financial stability and regulatory consistency across member states.
Capital markets union refers to an initiative aimed at creating a single market for capital across the European Union, facilitating investment and financing opportunities for businesses and individuals.
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