At a time when Europe’s economy is seeking to redefine its growth model, the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) is becoming increasingly significant, according to Vice President Yiannis Tsakiris.
His remarks point to an institution moving beyond its traditional mandate toward a more active role in shaping the investment landscape. The shift is not merely about scaling up financing, but reflects a deeper change in how the EIB perceives its role within the European economy. For decades, the bank operated primarily as a stabilizing force, stepping in when markets were unable to finance critical projects or when economies were under strain, Tsakiris said. Today, however, it is evolving into an active investment catalyst with a clear strategic focus. The group is no longer confined to the financing stage, but intervenes much earlier, contributing to project design, structuring and maturation, he added.
The EIB vice president noted that through extensive advisory services and technical assistance, the bank helps shape investment programs that might otherwise struggle to materialize, while expanding its scope into areas of strong strategic and geopolitical importance, such as energy security and critical raw materials.
Greece is cited as a case in point of this new approach. “Our strong presence in Greece is not coincidental, but reflects a combination of factors that make the country particularly attractive for investment at a European level,” Tsakiris said. On the one hand, a significant investment gap emerged over the past decade, while on the other, administrative capacity and project maturity have improved significantly.
As a result, Greece is no longer merely a recipient of funding, but a country capable of translating available resources into tangible investments with measurable impact, he said, with financing exceeding 1% of GDP and total investments approaching 3.7%.
A key element is the mechanism through which these resources are leveraged. “Our participation in a project acts as a strong signal of credibility to the market, reducing perceived risk for other investors and enabling the mobilization of private capital, bank financing and European funds,” Tsakiris said. In practice, the EIB does not finance projects alone, but acts as an “anchor” around which multiple funding sources are assembled.
Looking ahead, Tsakiris underscored the core challenge: “The real test of our intervention is not the volume of financing we can provide, but the extent to which it translates into productive activity and tangible outcomes, ensuring that liquidity does not remain idle in the system but is channelled into investments with a real multiplier effect.”
