The bank, which hired proxy adviser Morrow Sodali to gather proxy votes from shareholders, had no immediate comment.

Investors worried Monte dei Paschi may fail to gather shareholders representing at least 20 percent of its capital at Thursday's meeting as successive share issues in recent years have highly fragmented its shareholder base.

($1 = 0.9416 euros)

(Reporting by Silvia Ognibene, writing by Valentina Za, editing by Agnieszka Flak)