Judging by the indications coming from Berlin in the last month, the new German government, made up of social democrats, Greens, and liberals, is not showing much understanding for the complaints coming from Croatia about the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). If the Germans keep the current course, and nothing shows that they will not, no matter how much Dragan Covic or Zoran Milanovic complained, the elections in the neighboring country will be held according to the existing rules, as Robert Bajrusi wrote in a column for “Jutarnji list”.
The last in a series of negative reactions came from SPD member of the Bundestag Josip Juratovic, who vehemently rebuked Milanovic with an accusatory statement that “the president here neither unifies nor morally and ethically represents institutions, but acts destructively and gives the opposite effect with such inappropriate behavior, and not only within Croatia, but also at the international level, he has long been at war with European institutions, provoking conflicts with Brussels or open indignation of the European Union (EU)leaders, and that in the Balkans he is most supported by politicians from the margins, such as Milorad Dodik.
In addition, an important role for the Bundestag’s rapporteur for the Western Balkans went to young social democrat politician Adis Ahmetovic, who said last week that the most important political goal was to overcome ethnic divisions in BiH. According to Ahmetovic, the principle of “legitimate political representation”, which the HDZ BiH insists on, would contribute to deepening divisions and make it more difficult to implement decisions. “German diplomacy has similar position:
”The current sanctions regime should be applied against Mr. Dodik, whose character Milanovic describes in bright tones, ” pointed out Annalena Baerbock, the new German Foreign Minister after the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
Finally, the High Representative of the International Community in BiH, Christian Schmidt, recently hinted at this, saying in the Bundestag that he believes “an agreement within the EU on imposing sanctions on BiH right-wing radical politician Milorad Dodik is possible. ” The situation is worrying, especially when it comes to the integrity of BiH, and here one name stands out: Milorad Dodik, according to Bajrusi.
He also mentioned that “the question is whether Germany can maintain such influence within the EU, as in the Angela Merkel era”, but also stressed that it is “almost impossible for the Croatian authorities to lobby for electoral changes in BiH if the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes it”. And it seems that it will. “
But he also wonders “is this really a tragedy for Croats in the neighboring state”?
Furthermore, he quotes Ivana Maric, who claims that the HDZ BiH, in reality, does not want to agree on changes to the Election Law, so as to ensure that Croats elect their own representatives.
“If they agreed on that, then they would no longer have anything to keep Croats in a homogeneous mass, scaring them with terrible and frightening Bosniaks, who elect their representatives. This would open space for strengthening the opposition among Croats.”
It is also announced that the elections for the member of the Presidency of Bosniaks will be quite uncertain, and no party will have enough voters to be able to tell them that every third member of the “family” votes for Zeljko Komsic.
However, in the end, Croatia should be ready to find itself on the opposite side in relation to Germany in the upcoming months, when it comes to resolving the political crisis in BiH,” Bajrusi concluded.
