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North Macedonia political parties clash over Alta Bank allegations
Political tensions in North Macedonia have escalated following allegations from the SDSM party regarding Alta Bank. SDSM official Andrej Zhernovski claimed that whistleblowers have provided information suggesting that institutions, employees, and companies receiving tenders are being verbally coerced into working through Alta Bank. Zhernovski also cited reports from Serbia regarding transfers exceeding 50 million euros from Alta Bank’s Belgrade headquarters to its Macedonian branch.
In response, the VMRO-DPMNE party dismissed these claims as a “panic factory” designed to spread hysteria. VMRO-DPMNE asserted that the Macedonian banking system remains stable and that citizens' deposits are secure. The party criticized the SDSM for attempting to create chaos, citing the 2020 collapse of Eurostandard Bank as an example of mismanagement during the previous SDSM administration.
SDSM leader Venko Filipce further linked the situation to regional political shifts, suggesting that the recent loss of license for Alta Bank in Serbia is part of a broader crackdown on criminal structures. Meanwhile, SDSM has called on the National Bank of North Macedonia and the prosecution to launch immediate investigations and suspend the voting rights of the bank’s owners.
Entities
ALTA Bank · Eurostandard Bank · North Macedonia · SDS · SDSM · VMRO-DPMNE · Venko Filipče · Zoran Zaev
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] SDS previously spread panic regarding migrants, water in Skopje and Gostivar, and pension payments. vecer.mk · vmro-dpmne.org.mk
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Macedonian banking system is stable. vecer.mk · vmro-dpmne.org.mk
- [● 2 SOURCES] VMRO-DPMNE accused SDS and Venko Filipce of attempting to spread panic about the banking sector. vecer.mk · vmro-dpmne.org.mk
- [● 2 SOURCES] Deposits of all depositors are secure and safe. vecer.mk · vmro-dpmne.org.mk