The issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) NATO membership path is a favorite topic for politicians from Sarajevo, who enjoy accusing each other of “betrayal” and debating who has done more or less. The message from the United States (U.S.) Ambassador to BiH Michael Murphy is a reality check for all and a call for a more serious effort.
Besides accusations of betrayal, one of the favorite activities of Sarajevo politicians when they’re not doing their jobs – which is often – is calling for special rules that would speed up BiH’s path to NATO. They conveniently forget that it’s up to them to roll up their sleeves and find the mechanisms to move the country forward on this path.
“Membership is something a prospective allied country needs to earn. It requires hard work, focus, and difficult decisions from the country aspiring to join. In short, the country must do its homework to become a NATO member. Acceptance of this reality is almost always missing when there are calls for immediate, urgent, or accelerated membership for BiH in NATO. Unfortunately, BiH is not doing its homework. This is not just a problem of the current government; it applies to the previous government as well. Neither the current coalition nor the current opposition should boast about what they’ve done regarding NATO,” Murphy stated.
Murphy’s message, as the ambassador of a leading NATO country, should be a sufficient wake-up call for Sarajevo’s politicians to refrain from mentioning NATO in any electoral campaign unless it’s to admit they haven’t done enough.
Ambassador Murphy particularly pointed out the issue of the Reform Program. The SDA, DF, and the Coalition of Three have frequently used this issue to accuse each other of betrayal, selling out, or yielding to Milorad Dodik. What Murphy emphasized in his statement is that almost no one is discussing the essence of the Reform Program, which is supposed to transform the Armed Forces of BiH (AfBiH), rather than focusing on the political battles over its form.
The parties advocating for BiH’s NATO path, as usual, have become so fixated on the form that they’ve forgotten the substance.
“The Reform Program has been downgraded and turned into an annual ‘checklist.’ It’s not being used as a mechanism for implementing serious, meaningful reforms. Sometimes I wonder if those who are the loudest advocates for BiH’s accelerated NATO membership – a call that implies BiH has implemented or is implementing its Reform Program – have even read this document,” Murphy wrote.
Murphy also highlighted the poor material state of the AFBiH, and while he didn’t absolve the political leadership led by Milorad Dodik of responsibility, he strongly criticized both the former and current leadership of BiH’s Ministry of Defense.
“But let’s be clear. For more than ten years, the Ministry of Defense has lacked bold leadership and genuine political commitment necessary to implement defense reforms – many of which fall under the Ministry’s responsibility. I repeat this problem is not specific to any particular political party. Both the ruling parties and the current opposition are equally responsible,” Murphy criticized.
The U.S. ambassador also pointed out that despite the small budget, 30 million BAM remained unused in the defense budget for 2023.
However, perhaps the most disheartening fact highlighted by Ambassador Murphy is that the U.S. has been purchasing boots and German uniforms for the AFBiH.
At the end of his tenure, Ambassador Murphy has perhaps provided the best overview of BiH’s NATO path in the last decade, calling on politicians to finally abandon populism and genuinely commit to the NATO path, which is crucial for many aspects of the country, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
