The European Parliament has again called for the introduction of sanctions against the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and other, as they stated, destabilizing actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the Resolution of the European Parliament on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, last year’s divisive and secessionist rhetoric is strongly condemned and political leaders are called to implement reforms. Political analysts have different views on the messages from the Resolution of the European Parliament and on the effects that sanctions would have on domestic actors.
“The European Parliament has called for sanctions to be imposed on me, because in Bosnia and Herzegovina I insist on what the European Union was founded on – a lot of talks and agreements in order to reach a consensus and agree on solutions” – this is how it is on the “X” social network of the European the president of Republika Srpska answered the parliamentarians.
He asked what is destabilizing about the attitude that the Dayton Agreement, the Constitution, international law and the UN Charter must be respected.
“If the peak of the political skills of those members of the European Parliament is proposing the sanctioning of an attitude and free thought, then they have definitely missed the point,” said Dodik.
For the director of IFIMES, the Resolution of the European Parliament is a paradox.
ZIJAD BEĆIROVIĆ, director of the International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies
“They pass a resolution in which they say about sanctioning Dodik, while on the other side key people of the EU at the moment express their greatest support for Dodik. It should be understood that nothing will happen because the European Parliament passes a resolution that is not actually binding”.
Even if they introduce sanctions, they will have no effect because Dodik will not change his rhetoric, political analyst Željko Raljić believes.
“Here we have a situation where the representatives of the EU are complicit together with the domestic authorities in the mistreatment of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this is their joint responsibility. Empty threats mean nothing and will do nothing.”
Analyst Ivana Marić believes that the sanctions would not affect Dodik that much, because he is oriented towards Russia, Belarus and Turkey. He says that people from his immediate environment who have property in Europe would be more affected.
IVANA MARIĆ, political analyst
“It is certain that the sanctions of the European Parliament would hit more than the American ones because few of them are connected to America or have money and real estate there, while the situation is different with Europe because they certainly have more real estate and money in banks.”
With the resolution, the European parliamentarians welcomed the European Commission’s recommendation that accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina be opened as soon as the required level of compliance with the membership criteria is reached. There are 20 days left for the official authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt the necessary laws and show that they are in favor of the European path.
