The news was revealed to shareholders at this week's AGM by chairman Jože Stegne. He later told the Delo newspaper that part of the capital increase could come from financial firm KD Group or its insurance arm Zavarovalnica Adriatic in the form of long-term deposits.

Delavska hranilnica, which is in majority ownership of several major trade unions, has been in the news a lot in recent years, due to its rapid expansion as well as a series of involvements in major projects.

But its growth has been accompanied by warnings that it risks repeating the mistakes of big banks, which had engaged in high-risk deals and had to be bailed out by the state in 2013.

Interestingly, despite the need for a capital increase the shareholders on Wednesday accepted the proposal by one of the shareholders, a trade union, to earmark almost the entire distributable profit, EUR 1.73m, for dividends.

But several media reported that the payout might be deferred until after the capital increase is complete. Indeed, the central bank told business daily Finance it could in principle block the dividend payouts of banks that fail to meet capital adequacy standards.

Stegne told several media that the entire three-member management board would resign in the event the capital increase does not succeed.

One of the most publicised moves by Delavska hranilnica was in late 2014, when it bought a majority stake in Maribor airport operator Aerodrom Maribor.

In May it announced it would sell its stake to an unnamed buyer who has now been revealed to be Chinese businessmen David Pu, the owner of Maribor winery Vinag who is associated with several Chinese ventures in the city, the Večer newspaper reported.

Pu reportedly offered EUR 6-7m for an outright stake in Aerodrom Maribor pending due diligence and the resolution of outstanding issues such as the concession fee for the airport infrastructure.