The public radio and television service of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is in the most difficult financial situation since its establishment. BHRT’s accounts are blocked, and numerous lawsuits due to years-long debts are coming due. State institutions are not offering solutions, while responsibility for resolving the crisis circulates between domestic political actors and the Office of the High Representative (OHR). The president of SDA, Bakir Izetbegovic, spoke in an interview on this issue, as well as on the broader political situation in the country.
Izetbegovic emphasized that BHRT is not just a media outlet, but one of the key elements of the statehood of BiH. According to him, the existence of a state public broadcaster is directly linked to the sovereignty of the state, and therefore, the issue of its survival must be resolved.
“Of course, BiH needs BHRT. It is part of the state and part of its sovereignty. This problem must be addressed,” Izetbegovic said.
He recalled that the financing model under which BHRT functioned for decades was designed precisely by the SDA, through the collection of the RTV fee via BH Telecom bills, and later also through Elektroprivreda BiH. That system, he says, provided a certain degree of stability, but over time it was undermined by political blockades and a lack of agreement.
At the present moment, Izetbegovic believes it is necessary to find a temporary, palliative solution to ensure BHRT’s survival, while at the same time opening the path toward a permanent systemic solution after the elections. He sees budget financing as the only long-term sustainable solution.
“In my view, the only real solution is for the entire system to go onto the budget – the state and entity budgets,” he said.
Asked why the SDA did not manage to implement this while it was part of the government, Izetbegovic replied that there was no political will among other partners and that there were not enough votes in the parliaments. He added that there was resistance even within the public broadcasters themselves, due to fears that budget financing could jeopardize editorial independence.
“That is not true at all. All of us who work in institutions are paid from the budget – ministers, parliamentarians, directors. No party pays journalists’ salaries. Budgeting does not mean political control,” he stressed.
Commenting on political agreements after the elections and the way the current coalitions were formed, Izetbegovic said that certain actors made serious concessions to the HDZ, but failed to use the opportunity to resolve issues crucial for the state, such as BHRT or the Southern Interconnection.
“Ambitious but inexperienced people came in. They made concessions, but did not ‘trade’ solutions for the interests of the state of BiH,” he said.
Speaking about the role of the High Representative Christian Schmidt, who announced that he would not use the Bonn powers in relation to BHRT or the unblocking of institutions, Izetbegovic assessed that BiH is facing the deepest crisis since the Dayton Agreement.
“There has never been a more depressing situation in the past 30 years. Security-wise, politically, economically – everything is collapsing,” he said.
He believes that the High Representative must assume responsibility and take decisive steps when domestic institutions block the system.
“His job is to unblock. It is better to take bold moves that stabilize the country, even if that means bearing consequences, than to do nothing and watch everything fall apart,” Izetbegovic said.
He added that he had a meeting with the High Representative a month ago, and that he has the impression that Schmidt was warned to stop after certain moves. Izetbegovic believes that, were he in his place, he would act more decisively.
As one of the possible ways out of the current crisis, he sees the upcoming general elections, but on the condition that citizens recognize the seriousness of the situation the state is in.
“Elections are a way out, if the people have the wisdom,” he said.
Speaking about speculation regarding a candidacy for the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH, Izetbegovic said it is too early to talk about names, and that such decisions are traditionally made at the party congress at the end of May.
He also referred to the latest gathering of 12 parties around the candidate Denis Becirovic, emphasizing that such alliances should neither be underestimated nor overestimated. He recalled that a similar bloc existed in the previous elections, but that it has since significantly lost support.
“That bloc fell from 360.000 votes to around 280.000, while support for the SDA grew from 230.000 to more than 260.000 votes,” he stated.
According to his estimates, the SDA candidate, whether himself or someone else, will receive more than 250.000 votes in the next elections, while he expects Becirovic’s result to be weaker than before.
Finally, asked about possible future coalitions, including cooperation with the HDZ and the SNSD, Izetbegovic said it is too early to talk about that, but expressed hope that the SNSD will not achieve electoral success, especially if new electoral technologies are introduced, BHRT writes.
