UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel is scheduled to meet German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Sept. 14 in Berlin after pressing for direct talks over the Italian bank's campaign for Commerzbank. UniCredit's holding was reported at 48%, while earlier coverage put it at up to 49.65%, a level sufficient to determine shareholder resolutions. The meeting marks a shift for Berlin, which had opposed the approach and struggled to form a unified response amid coalition infighting, economic weakness and pressure from the far-right AfD. Commerzbank's resistance has also eased, with Chairman Jens Weidmann proposing talks in July. The German government retains just over 12% of Commerzbank after its September 2024 sale of part of the stake inherited from a financial-crisis bailout. A combination could create a bank with more than €1.3 trillion in assets and support the European Central Bank's goal of greater cross-border consolidation, but politicians and labour representatives remain concerned about foreign control, jobs and the lender's role in financing Germany's economy.