Greek banks merge for crisis - Decision as for now has no significant effect on business in Serbia

Within new reforms, out of four biggest banks operating in Serbia as well, Greece will make two, European officials claim. That will, as the experts say, reflect on their branch offices in Serbia as well.

Out of four biggest Greek bank – National Bank of Greece, Piraeus, Eurobank and Alpha bank, most likely two of them will survive.

- It was planned that two banks are merged with other two. The same things will happen with mother companies in Greece and branch offices in Serbia and other countries. It is left to see whether new banks will decrease operations in their banks in other countries. The way it is now, branch offices operate better than mother companies so it should not happen- Vladimir Gligorov, associate of the Vienna Institute for economic sciences.

He explains the banks in the region merge almost every day. These decisions does not make any changes for the citizens. They remain the clients of the same bank, only with the new name. Four biggest banks in Greece have 95% of the market in the country and 15 % of the market in Serbia.