By Charlotte GAUCHON
23 March 2025
The metamorphosis of the cooperative banking sector is currently being examined by lawyers and economists alike. From a model based on community solidarity and mutual aid to major players in the global financial system, cooperative banks have undergone a remarkable evolution while maintaining certain distinctive legal features. The origins of the cooperative banking model The cooperative banking movement developed in the second half of the 19th century, particularly in Germany with the pioneering work of Frédéric-Guillaume Raiffeisen (1818-1888). The aim of his project was to set up credit unions to provide mutual financial assistance to farmers facing difficulties in accessing credit. This initiative met a real need: the inaccessibility of banking services for certain populations. As article L. 512-85 of the French Monetary and Financial Code emphasises, cooperative networks help to «implement the principles of solidarity and the fight against exclusion». The first experiments in France illustrate this social vocation: Crédit Agricole,...
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