The aim of Germany's Commerzbank and of the German government, which owns a quarter of the country's second largest lender, is to create a stable company that can then sell fresh shares. It would then be a very different creature from two years ago.

On August 31, 2008, Martin Blessing, the bank's chief executive, announced it would swallow Dresdner Bank, Germany's second biggest bank, which was owned by insurance giant Allianz.