This Wednesday, the German newspaper ”Die Welt” summarizes the whole scandal in the article “Orban’s dangerous game in the Western Balkans” titled ”Together with Hungary, one European Union (EU) and NATO member supports the aspiration for the secession of Bosnian Serbs. And Budapest is getting help in this from Brussels, “ writes Die Welt, reports Deutsche Welle.
In the article, the author Carolina Druten recalled Orban’s visit to Banja Luka last November and the statement heard in Republika Srpska (RS) at the time that they “enjoy the full support of Prime Minister Orban and the Hungarian state”, ie when it comes to secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Despite the crisis that threatens both NATO and the EU, the author estimates that “these concerns seem to play no role in Budapest. Orban will block any EU attempt to sanction Dodik. And more than that: Hungary has made 100 million euros available to RS.
An article in Die Welt quotes Bosnian analyst Jasmin Mujanovic as saying that “Budapest is financing an attempt to destroy BiH.” Also, his conclusion is mentioned where he said thatOrban follows his own idea of ”Christian Europe” where Dodik would be another link in the chain of illiberal regimes that Orban wants to admit to the EU as allies in his own illiberal coalition – so a state like Serbia is in the first place in that process.
What led RS officials to claim that Hungary “completely stands” behind them – one can only speculate.
The German paper also raises the question of the role of European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhely as a “born Hungarian and a loyal follower of Orban”. “In fact, his role obliges him to represent the common interests of the Union, not the country of his origin,” warns Die Welt. “But there are doubts about that.”
They recalled an EU document showing an “extraordinary measure” of coordination between Varhelyi and secessionists in RS, written before a controversial vote in the RS parliament. “In it, Varhelyi not only agreed on the date of the parliamentary session but also ‘a moratorium has been agreed for the adoption of a law on unilateral withdrawal from state institutions for a period of six months,'” it was mentioned in the document, which is included in the Die Welt editorial board.
Enlargement Commissioner Varhelyi called all accusations that he was acting in the interests of Hungary, not the EU, “lies” and “proof of anti-European attitude”.
Last December, the Turkish TRT program also asked the question “Is the EU helping to ‘destroy’ BiH?” where the role of Hungary is emphasized again – and especially the Commissioner for the Enlargement of Varhely towards the RS and the separatist aspirations heard there. Apart from the media, criticism is heard from associations such as the Berlin Democratization Policy Council, which published the full content of the “secret” document of the EU in its policy towards the RS and BiH on its Twitter account.
E.Dz.
Source: avaz
