On June 28th, European banks are required to return roughly 500 billion euros to the European Central Bank as a result of the TLTRO long-term financing mechanism. This upcoming payment, though not the entire amount, has led experts to fear that banks, particularly those in Italy and Greece, may not survive such a financial burden. To alleviate their lack of liquidity, banks may seek to attract debt securities in the market, but such an option carries the risk of high demand for risk premiums. As a result, the ECB may need to utilize another anti-crisis mechanism to finance banks that are unable to pay previous debts under the same program, creating yet another complicated financial scenario.
