Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has a new High Representative. Christian Schmidt’s mandate has officially begun, and the handover of duties was scheduled for yesterday. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) condemned the “escalation of tensions” in BiH and called on politicians to focus on supporting peace and stability.
BiH politicians, once again, have opposing views. While for some Schmidt is welcome, for others – as if he does not exist.
“What is the alternative? To listen to you, to see how you impose laws, to come unnamed? And then if we accept you, then you say that we accepted it all, what do we want? We will not accept you. You are not accepted, you are not welcome, and we will not talk to you, ” told Milorad Dodik, a Serb member of the Presidency of BiH.
Milorad Dodik sent this message from the party premises in Banja Luka to the new High Representative, Christian Schmidt. When it comes to BiH officials, Schmidt had his first meeting with Benjamin Karic, the mayor of Sarajevo. A meeting with members of the BiH Presidency is scheduled for tomorrow. Dodik will not attend. He did not welcome the German Secretary of State in the Presidency yesterday either, but the other two members did.
Sefik Dzaferovic expects good cooperation with Christian Schmidt. As for him, there is no problem.
“I expect BiH, with the arrival of the new High Representative, to make strong strides on its reform path. To strongly continue its European path, its NATO path, ” said Sefik Dzaferovic, a Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency.
As for the Republika Srpska (RS), participation in the work of BiH institutions will continue if the amendments to the Criminal Code imposed by Valentin Inzko are repealed. Political representatives from the Federation of BiH (FBiH) say – it will not happen. The new political crisis has found itself on the table of the Steering Board of the PIC. With the exception of Russia, members condemn the political tensions and non-acceptance of the amendments to the Criminal Code, as well as the legal response from the National Assembly of the RS.
They call for “refraining from destabilizing behavior.”
“This clearly means that BiH is entering a new, much more serious phase of the crisis. There is a potential for serious friction between the international community and local politicians, as well as within the international community itself, ” stated Srecko Latal, a political analyst.
“I am almost one hundred percent sure that there will be some pressure on politicians in BiH, regardless of nationality, in order for BiH to start to get back on its feet,” said Darko Kuzmanovic, a political scientist.
Words of welcome are the least of the problems that the new High Representative Christian Schmidt will experience. He is coming to BiH at a time of great crisis, caused not only by political turmoil but also by the extremely difficult economic and social situation. Issues have been piling up for years, and there is no political will to solve them, BHRT writes.
E.Dz.
