National banking systems of Russia and Germany in conditions of macroeconomic instability: state analysis and development trends

In the modern world the credit institutions importance has gone beyond monetary and credit relations. They act as institutions on a par with the state and the market. It is impossible to imagine a rational organization of economic activity on a national scale without banks. Systemically important banks can be turned into a market element, an instrument of effective state policy, with effective and productive use. Weak credit institutions act as a factor of economic degradation. Therefore, the banking system, by accumulating and distributing cash, plays an important role in the economy of any country. Crisis phenomens and the unfavorable macroeconomic situation have a negative impact on the country's economy. Instruments, that support and stimulate the banking system, is played an important role. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of a particular country, applying this or that mechanism of anti-crisis regulation. In the article, based on official statistical data published by the Russian Bank and the Bundesbank, the analysis of the banking systems state in Russia and Germany was made on the basis of an assessment of key indicators of banking activity in 2007–2016, including: the assets of credit institutions, the own funds of credit institutions, and the volume of loans issued. As a result of the analysis of the Russian and German national banking systems state in conditions of economic instability, it was revealed that the measures applied by the governments of countries are only half measures, which do not give sufficient effect. Besides that the state of the banking systems of the two countries is quite unstable. However the governments of Russia and Germany are struggling with the negative crisis phenomena (currency instability, decline in investment flow, etc.) and continue improving the current anti-crisis policy and developing new measures for support the banking system.