The German newspapers write that Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is in a deep political crisis, about Milorad Dodik’s separatism, the policy of the European Union (EU), and how Russia and Turkey are using the West’s failures in BiH.
“Every few years he causes a crisis, foreign diplomats get confused and run around, then he makes demands and gets something – to the detriment of the state of BiH,” the Austrian Standard wrote. The paper also stated that this time “Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik annulled the decisions of the Constitutional Court and declared the High Representative illegitimate.” “He actually annulled the Dayton Peace Agreement. Dodik is a security threat in Europe,” writes the Standard.
The newspaper further assesses that the Western forces “who, with their policy of appeasement, are inviting him to escalate” are also responsible for this state of affairs in BiH.
“Last year, when, after the attack on Ukraine, there was a moment for the EU to introduce sanctions against Putin’s henchman, it was not just his friend, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who jumped to his side. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna was also against the restrictive measures,” writes the Standard.
The paper assesses that “there are numerous unprincipled forces in the EU, which also collaborate with nationalists in Serbia, even though the political attack of Serbian nationalists on the territorial integrity of Kosovo and BiH is currently underway.” The Standard, therefore, assesses that High Representative Christian Schmidt still “remains necessary in order to legally reject Dodik’s coup attempts”.
In another text about BiH, published on Sunday, under the title “Dodik on a completely secessionist path.,” the Standard, while reminding that the State Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has launched an investigation against Dodik, and the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) against the Official Gazette of the RS, notes that it will show “whether BiH institutions and the High Representative are strong enough.” The Austrian journalist then quotes an international law expert from Graz, Joseph Marko, who says that the RS laws and Dodik’s actions are “the last step before the declaration of secession”. Marko also believes that high representative Christian Schmidt “could ban Dodik’s SNSD party for unconstitutional actions” and says that it “could cause a political shock, at least in the short term”. He also adds that “Schmidt has the power to replace Dodik, but apparently, he does not dare”.
The Standard then quotes constitutional law expert Jens Wolk from the University of Trento, who says that “it is very dangerous that Dodik feels so confident that he defames the international community as an opposing party.” “But it is also a confirmation that the West cannot, on the one hand, strive for the goal of creating a functional state in BiH, and on the other hand maintain equidistance (the same distance) towards all parties, regardless of whether they support the state of BiH or fight against it like Dodik… Everyone closed their eyes for too long and didn’t want to see it,” Wolk tells the Standard and concludes: “Forcing Dodik to give in “is only possible through total political isolation and pressure at the international level.”
Traumatic Experiences and disappointment in the EU
The Swiss Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ), in a guest commentary, writes: “BiH is in a deep political crisis because Serbs and Croats are advocating for independence. Turkish President Erdogan is reaching out to disillusioned Muslims in BiH and trying to interfere in the Balkans.”
“Turkey has greatly expanded its presence through the opening of educational institutions, large infrastructure projects, or through networks of Turkish entrepreneurs. Ankara maintains close ties with the Balkan states in order to exercise influence in the heart of Central Europe and on the border with the EU. Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, BiH, and Kosovo were part of the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years,” NZZ writes.
The paper goes on to state that “after the traumatic experiences in the war in BiH (1992-1995) and the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosniaks had much higher hopes for the EU, and given the political instability of their country, they lost their illusions.”
“This disappointment is used by countries like Russia and Turkey to implement their own national interests. Turkey has already invested more than 300 million dollars in the infrastructure of BiH. Turkey’s Ziraat Bank has become the largest and most influential bank in the country, and the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway project worth four billion euros, financed by Ankara, is currently the largest infrastructure project in the Balkans,” NZZ writes.
The paper further assesses: “The crisis in BiH could bring the Western Balkans back to the brink of ethnic conflict, and other countries such as Russia and Turkey could enter the scene. Russian-Turkish action to resolve the crisis – without EU or the United States (U.S.) interference – will turn the Balkans into a new playground for geopolitical disputes.”, DW reports.
E.Dz.
