The High Representative surprised many with his performance in Gorazde. This is the first time that a high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) speaks so fiercely. Is the inaction of BiH politicians reason for Christian Schmidt‘s revolt or, on the other hand, the pressure he was under after the announcement of the possible imposition of an electoral law that would favor HDZ BiH. We analyze whether Schmidt’s statement was diplomatically correct or whether it went beyond the scope of political discourse. We remind you of all the events, but also the storm of reactions that followed the potential imposition of the law, as well as Schmidt’s announcement of the lifting of blockades. In addition to all that, the question remains as to how the High Representative will implement the judgment in the Ljubic case.
“Nonsense, utter nonsense. Guys, I didn’t come to sit and stand here, I care about this country. This is a city where people lost their lives and we (OHR) are not here to play political games. And people here are playing political games. I’m sorry, politicians play them.”
Such performance of the high representative was not recorded during the multi-year mandate of the OHR in our country. Correct, undiplomatic or something else?
“In any case, what Christian Schmidt did in Gorazde is something that in no way should be part of the political discourse, I think that with that he definitely closed the door to himself as a man who can talk to anyone in this country, ” believes professor of international relations Zlatko Hadzidedic.
However, there are also those who understand the reasons for the anger of the high representative who, according to some analysts, is doing what those who were elected by the citizens should do. But their work has been continuously missing for years.
“This reaction of Schmidt shows that he cares even more about BiH and its citizens than politicians. He simply cannot believe what kind of people he is dealing with. Exactly what was the speculation that Schmidt’s decisions are the solution to our problem that Schmidt imposed those decisions against which the citizens protested, that would solve the problem of the formation of the government and would make it impossible for the HDZ to block the further formation of the government,” stressedpolitical analyst Ivana Maric.
And while announcing a solution to the blockades, the announcement of the possible imposition of electoral law, more specifically that one related to political changes, caused stormy reactions because it was mentioned that Schmidt could impose the implementation of the Ljubic verdict and thus satisfy the demands of HDZ. So, on the one hand, a solution to the blockade, and on the other, an introduction to deeper discrimination. But for now, everything is at the level of speculation. As a reminder, the Ljubic verdict was not implemented, but it was the fact that the Constitutional Court deleted certain provisions of the electoral law with the Ljubicjudgment, but not the provision of the Constitution of the Federation which states that each canton gives one delegate from all three constituent nations if one is elected. The interventions in this part that are being announced are further discrimination. And there was abuse.
“We should not forget that playing with these identities for the sake of political appointments is not an unknown practice. You had Bosniaks who declared themselves as Serbs and went to the House of Peoples. If the solution is to somehow codify the demands of the Croatian parties because of everything that has been done so far, let it be done. With the fact that one should be very careful when intervening in the Constitution of the Federation, and I doubt that it can be done without the Constitution intervenes,” told Adnan Huskic, a political analyst.
Amendments to the Constitution, according to legal experts, are beyond Schmidt’s mandate. However, due to the inaction of BiHpoliticians, the high representative is forced to act. With his anger, he sent a message to some that it is not easy to talk to him, analysts claim, while according to others, he shows that BiH politicians brought him to the end of patience in just one year.
