On February 12, the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a decision regarding the request of the President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lidija Bradara, to review the constitutionality of the Law on the Southern Interconnection between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia.
Bradara filed the request after the law was adopted against the will of the HDZ, whose representatives voted against it. Political tension arose when the Troika outvoted the HDZ, adopting a law that was not in line with the interests of Dragan Čović’s party. The HDZ then demanded that BH Gas be removed from the law and a new company based in Mostar be formed.
In her request, Bradara stated that the Law was not adopted in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, and that the urgency procedure and a number of other procedural shortcomings were abused.
However, with the arrival of the new US administration led by President Donald Trump, the Southern Interconnection project has taken on a new dimension. According to available information, the US is more determined to implement the project as soon as possible, including certain concessions. A procedural obstacle in the form of Bradara’s request temporarily slowed down the process, but the President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina later withdrew the request, believing that this would reduce political tensions and potential negative decisions by the Constitutional Court.
However, the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to reject the withdrawal of the request and issued a final decision in favor of the legislative process. “The withdrawal of the request for the review of the constitutionality of the procedure in which the Law on the Gas Pipeline ‘Southern Interconnection Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia’ was adopted is not accepted. It is established that the Law was adopted in accordance with the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Constitutional Court stated in its ruling.
The decision confirms the legality and constitutionality of the Law on the Southern Interconnection, thus removing procedural doubts and paving the way for the continuation of the implementation of the strategic gas pipeline project between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
