The door of Europe is “open” for Bosnia and Herzegovina and can be closed very quickly. That is why Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take advantage of the open door and fulfill the four necessary conditions to open negotiations with the European Union, she said during her visit to Sarajevo, in an interview with the Fena Agency and portal Klix, Austrian Minister of Justice of BiH origin Alma Zadić.
She emphasized that Austria is one of the biggest proponents of BiH joining the European Union.
“I must say that a lot has been achieved in recent years. I was here in 2022, and then the situation was completely different, because a lot of reforms that should have been implemented were not implemented. However, we succeeded and in December a decision was made that BiH would receive candidate status, while in March of this year BiH received a conditional opening of negotiations,” she said.
He emphasizes that these conditions are clear. Four laws should be passed: the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Law on the Courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Law on the Protection of Personal Data and the Law on Border Control.
“Now is the time for Bosnia and Herzegovina to show that it is ready to fulfill these conditions,” said Zadić.
He emphasizes that the door is “opened a little bit” and can be closed very quickly. That is why Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take advantage of the open door and fulfill these four conditions in order to open negotiations. Once the negotiations are opened, then everything is simpler.
“That was the goal of my coming to Sarajevo, to emphasize once again how important it is that these conditions be fulfilled and negotiations opened as soon as possible in this momentum. Austria will continue to support BiH. I am personally convinced, and the Austrian government is also convinced, that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the European family. BiH is historically and economically closely connected with the European Union, and that is why it is important to start this process as soon as possible,” says Zadić.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recently spoke at a forum in Bled about the possible start of negotiations between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Asked if, as a member of the Austrian government, she has information on when this could happen, she said that it was clear that there would be an attempt to open these negotiations at the end of December, but she reiterated that the condition is the adoption of four key laws.
On Friday, she had a meeting with the Minister of Justice of BiH, Davor Bunoz, who, as she says, showed great commitment to ending these laws. Some minor “but critical details” remained.
“The period until December should be used, it should be used to open negotiations,” said Zadić.
Parliamentary elections in Austria are being held on September 29, and according to all polls, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is in the lead.
Zadić, however, says that Austria will always support Bosnia and Herzegovina in developing and strengthening its constitutional framework as a single state, as stated in the Dayton Agreement.
But the election victory of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) would have dramatic consequences, the minister believes.
“If the Liberals come to power, they will implement their anti-democratic agenda. This would mean that the judiciary is being politicized, and the independent media is being destroyed step by step. And this could, in the long term, of course, also mean a worsening of the attitude towards the Western Balkans.”
“I want to point out in this interview, because I know that there is some rhetoric with secessionist tendencies: Austria and the European Union support Bosnia and Herzegovina and its unity as a state,” said Zadić.
In Austrian foreign policy, there is no tendency to block negotiations with the countries of the Western Balkans, because Austria has long supported the integration of this region at the European level.
“Because the Western Balkans is part of the European family, because BiH is part of the European family and it is finally time to close that hole on the map of Europe. When looking at the geopolitical situation, it becomes clear that it is high time for the Western Balkans, and BiH, to start a realistic process, to get a perspective for that process of integration into the European Union,” said Zadić.
Speaking about the BiH diaspora in Austria, Zadić says that a lot of people are leaving BiH and the diaspora is growing both in Austria and in Germany and other European Union countries.
“I sometimes feel sorry for how many young and capable people leave Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are a lot of successful people, it’s nice to see that, but I would also like Bosnia and Herzegovina and its people to see a future for themselves and their children in this country that is rich in natural beauty. So I hope that politically they will succeed in reaching a status where they decide to stay in BiH and build their future here,” said Zadić.
