Western Europe
Landesbanken under pressure to restructure
Under review: there have been calls for Bayern LB (headquarters pictured) to be sold following its recent difficultiesThe German Landesbanken were hit hard by the financial crisis, and bailouts at both state and federal level have allowed the national government and the EU to increase the pressure for both restructuring and reform. Writer Michael Marray
Central & Eastern Europe
Samir Sharifov
Samir Sharifov, Azerbaijan's finance ministerAzerbaijan's finance minister tells The Banker about the country's strategy to diversify its economy away from a dependence on oil exports and addresses international questions about the government's fiscal transparency. Writer Michelle Price
Americas
Argentina's season of change
Poor harvest: but Banco Galicia, a leader in the agricultural sector, closed 2009 with a $301.5m profitDespite the twin threats of the worst drought to strike South America in decades and the continuing fallout from global financial crisis, Argentina's lenders have survived relatively unscathed. And now a debt swap offer could allow the country to access international credit markets. Writer Silvia Pavoni
