The mass closure of bank branches in Italy is creating a problem far beyond mere inconvenience for customers and businesses: it is a real public order issue. Unimpresa warns that this trend could lead to a rise in usury and money laundering, problems that thrive in areas abandoned by banks.
A matter of public safety
This is not just an economic issue. When a bank branch closes in a small town or a peripheral area, the space left behind is quickly occupied. And we know by whom: criminal organizations step in wherever a legal financial reference point is missing. Bank branches act as legal safeguards, and their abrupt disappearance creates a dangerous void, pushing families and businesses toward questionable lenders.
No banks, more usury
Where do people turn when they need financial assistance but their local bank is gone? This is a question policymakers are failing to address. When a business or family can no longer turn to a bank for credit, they seek alternatives—often ending up in the hands of those always ready to lend under predatory conditions.
The paradox of forced digitalization
Banks are closing while the government promotes financial inclusion and fights cash usage. But without physical branches, who is left out? Elderly citizens, small businesses, and shop owners. Digital solutions do not work for everyone, and believing that an app can replace face-to-face financial advice is a dangerous illusion.
A call to action: Stop bank desertification
Unimpresa urges the government and Bankitalia to take immediate action: incentives are needed to keep branches open in high-risk areas, and if necessary, mandatory regulations must ensure that no town is left without banking services. Bank desertification is not just a market trend—it is a national security issue.
