What is the Bosnian nation? Does it exist and in what form or is it an unachievable political project, as claimed by many critics of the idea of the Bosnian and Herzegovinan (BiH) nation?
“Is a Bosnian nation possible?” is the name of the debate held in Sarajevo, but also of the questions posed to the audience. About fifty of them almost unanimously, raising red and green slips, answered the question in the affirmative, to which political scientist, journalist and debate participant Tvrtko Milovicresponded, considering that the results of the same survey would be completely opposite if they were conducted in other parts of the country. referring to the Republika Srpska (RS) entity and western Herzegovina, where most Serbs and Croats live.
“This already tells us that this nation is practically impossible,” emphasizes Milovic and adds that from a practical point of view, the formation of the BiH nation is almost impossible at this moment, in this time and in these borders of BiH.
“I don’t know if it will go in that direction because we have really formed three ethnic communities that have their common components and that cannot be broken by force. So maybe it can be done in some other way, but not by force”, explains Milovic.
On the other hand, the vice-president of the Federation of BiH(FBiH), Igor Stojanovic, believes that there are many people who feel primarily as Bosnians and Herzegovinians and for whom this is their first identity, before religion and before terms Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.
Identity problem
“Three identities have been firmly formed in BiH – Bosniak, Croatian and Serbian, which people will not renounce”, said political scientist and journalist Danijal Hadzovic and added that it is a done deal and that these historical processes are over, as can be seen from the behavior of people on choices and their thinking. He is not enthusiastic about the idea that the term Bosnian and Herzegovinian is introduced as a fourth component in the political system and that it is made into a fourth nation or a fourth group.
“But I think that the Bosnian identity, being a Bosnian and Herzegovinian, should primarily be treated as something that implies identification with the state of BiH and that it should be an overarching identity in which all citizens of BiH will feel comfortable enough, regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliation, regardless of whether they were Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, Roma, Jews, or members of any ethnic group,” concludes Hadzovic.
For political analyst Zarko Papic, Bosnian identity representsunity, common life, an identity state, and he adds that this does not mean that national determinants should be suppressed and national identities should be liquidated.
Little chance of unification
The BiH nation should not be abandoned, according to Hadzovic, but someone should carry out specific organizational and propaganda activities throughout BiH in order to promote BiH identity and unity, which requires a large number of people and organizations.
“Unfortunately, today there is no such movement and no such organizations. The reach of that idea ends today, not only on a limited number of citizens, but also on the limited territory of BiH“, believes Hadzovic and adds that “with constant conflicts, with this kind of vocabulary, with this kind of hateful nationalism that is present on our political scene, I do not see that in this kind of atmosphere, a movement can emerge that would have enough strength to start uniting all the citizens of BiH”, N1 reports.
E.Dz.
