MILAN, June 6 (Reuters) - The potential collapse of two Italian regional banks could impact both the country's economy and its government bonds, the Chief Executive of Intesa Sanpaolo said on Tuesday.
Banca Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca, both based in the north-eastern Veneto region, have requested a state bailout to help fill a combined capital shortfall of 6.4 billion euros ($7.21 billion).
However, sources have said the European Commission has demanded an additional injection of 1.2 billion euros by private investors before taxpayer money can be used, and Rome is struggling to find an investor willing to put up the money.
Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina repeated that his bank, Italy's biggest retail lender, had already done its part by injecting money in the banking fund Atlante, which now is the top shareholder in the two regional lenders. ($1 = 0.8873 euros)
(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; writing by Francesca Landini; editing by Steve Scherer)
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