Sanja Lukarevska urges Trajko Slaveski to resign over sale of Stopanska Banka Bitola

Sanja Lukarevska, a lawmaker from the opposition SDSM, demanded the resignation of Trajko Slaveski, governor of the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, during a parliamentary oversight hearing focused on Alta Banka.

Addressing the committee, Lukarevska said: "The withdrawal from office is the least Slaveski can do immediately for the common good, because instead of protecting it, he has shaken trust in the entire banking sector."

She also accused the governor of directly endangering the operation of a domestic bank, saying: "The approval to buy Stopanska Banka AD Bitola constitutes the direct responsibility of the governor in endangering the bank's operations, contrary to legal provisions and contrary to the remarks sent by the Austrian financial market supervisory authority."

Slaveski, for his part, maintains that the procedures related to Alta Banka were lawful and that the central bank acted within its legal remit.

Parliamentary oversight and political fallout

The exchange comes amid intensified scrutiny of recent bank transactions and raises questions about regulatory oversight and political responsibility. Lukarevska called for an immediate step-down as a measure to restore public confidence, while supporters of the governor point to the central bank's assurances about the legality of its actions.

Lawmakers on the committee are expected to continue the review, with the debate likely to feed into broader discussions about supervision of the financial sector and accountability of senior officials.

Photo: SDK.MK)