North Macedonia
SDSM after Alta Banka’s collapse in Serbia: Mickoski and Governor Slaveski responsible for the Bitola branch
The opposition demands an immediate inspection of Alta Banka AD Bitola and criminal proceedings, while VMRO-DPMNE points to the collapse of Eurostandard Bank in 2020.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
November 1, 2026, 12:00 · Updated 19:04 · 2 min read
In brief
- The National Bank of Serbia revoked on Oct. 31 the license of Alta Banka in Belgrade, which owns the Bitola subsidiary.
- SDSM wants the National Bank to send inspectors and prosecutors to open proceedings against Mickoski and Slaveski.
- According to Forbes Serbia, the bank held 38.8% of its assets in cash and at the central bank.
North Macedonia’s opposition party SDSM has demanded personal accountability from Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and National Bank Governor Slaveski after the revocation of the license of Alta Banka in Serbia, the parent bank of Alta Banka AD Bitola. “Mickoski and Governor Slaveski bear personal responsibility before the citizens. They brought Vučić’s bank to Macedonia,” the party said in a statement carried by Portalb.mk.
The opposition’s demands
SDSM wants the National Bank to immediately send inspectors to Alta Banka AD Bitola, suspend the owner’s voting rights and take measures to protect the deposits of the state and public enterprises, which, unlike citizens’ deposits insured up to €30,000, are not protected in the same way. The party also wants prosecutors to open proceedings against Mickoski, Slaveski and everyone involved. According to SDSM, owner Davor Macura withdrew €37 million in cash “with the governor’s permission” in Serbia, claims that have not been independently verified.
The ruling VMRO-DPMNE responded by saying that Eurostandard Bank had been “destroyed” under SDSM’s government in 2020, with uncollateralized loans to companies close to former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
What the figures show
The National Bank of Serbia revoked Alta Banka’s license in Belgrade on Oct. 31, saying the legal conditions had been met and that the decision aims to protect depositors. The Deposit Insurance Agency will pay out insured amounts within seven working days.
According to an analysis by Forbes Serbia cited by Portalb, at the end of June the bank had about €1.84 billion in assets and about €1.47 billion in deposits, while €713 million, or 38.8% of assets, was in cash and funds at the central bank, nearly double the share at Serbia’s largest banks. Alta Banka bought Stopanska Banka Bitola in May 2025 with the approval of North Macedonia’s National Bank.
