Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Davor Ivo Stier, pointed out that 30 years after Dayton, BiH has still not consolidated as a sovereign and multinational state.
“Dayton found the formula for peace, and that is the equality of the three peoples that constitute BiH. But on that foundation, a European upgrade must now follow. The Dayton Constitution can and must be changed, but while respecting the fundamental Dayton peace formula of equality,” said Stier.
He emphasizes that within the Dayton constitutional framework, there are certain elements of federalism and the civic concept, but not a fully federalized and civic BiH, and that in the public space in BiH, these two concepts are often wrongly presented as opposing.
“That is not true. There is a lack of dialogue and political will to conclude that in a multinational BiH, the civic concept can develop only through a federal arrangement of the country that will respect the fundamental Dayton peace formula of equality. And that would be the natural evolution of BiH after Dayton,” said Stier.
He pointed out that federalism does not mean the right to secede from part of BiH, nor discrimination against citizens, but quite the opposite.
“Federalism did not divide but united the United States (U.S.) after the Civil War. Federalism did not break up but preserved Belgium and many other European countries. Federalism is, ultimately, a concept that drives and encourages European integration,” assessed Stier.
Therefore, as he says, the European Parliament already proposed federal solutions for the European future of BiH back in 2014.
“Thirty years after Dayton, it is time for these solutions to begin to be implemented,” concluded the Chair of the Delegation for relations with BiH.
