How did Christian Schmidt go from being the most desirable foreigner for Bosniak politicians to a persona non grata in Sarajevo?
Initially, they were unpleasantly surprised by his announcement that he would testify in Strasbourg in the “Kovačević” case, and then by his mentioning of Alija Izetbegović’s name in a negative context.
Former head of the BH diplomacy, Bisera Turković, even called for the Peace Implementation Council to take action.
A protest in front of the OHR headquarters has been announced for tomorrow, inviting pro-Bosnian forces.
President Milorad Dodik stated that he would attend the protest if pro-Serb forces organized it.
Christian Schmidt has become the number one state enemy. The once-favored foreigner in political Sarajevo has suddenly turned into a persona non grata. While he operated against Republika Srpska for nearly three years, and Serbian officials indicated that he was acting against BiH, political Sarajevo rejoiced. However, when he mentioned Alija Izetbegović in a negative context during a television appearance, the views of all Bosniak political leaders changed.
Today, even Bakir’s son reacted vehemently, asking Schmidt how his father could be equated with a Serb general who, as he claims, committed crimes, while Alija stopped the violence. Bakir does not mention how Alija sacrificed peace and, under pressure from the West, withdrew his signature from the Cutileiro plan in 1992, leading many lives to death, as confirmed by José Cutileiro himself while testifying before the Hague Tribunal.
- They want to declare their war criminals heroes, not just for their own people but for all nations. Alija Izetbegović is a man who said he would sacrifice peace for the alleged independence of BiH, and we have seen where that has led. When we say we will not sacrifice peace for the independence of Republika Srpska, they impose sanctions on us, Dodik stated.
The voices against Schmidt have risen in Sarajevo from all sides—left, right, green, and red. Even the intellectual elite among Bosniaks, including those from Circle 99, will hold a protest in front of the OHR.
- In all this, regarding Schmidt, I only wish them well. If they hadn’t announced that gathering tomorrow as a gathering of pro-Bosnian forces, I would probably have attended. But since they labeled it as a gathering of pro-Bosnian forces, I won’t go. But that says a lot about how willing they are to accept a foreigner as a ruler if he does something bad for us Serbs, said Dodik.
Interestingly, political Sarajevo was also bothered by Schmidt’s intention to testify in Strasbourg regarding the “Kovačević” case. Slaven Kovačević, an advisor to Željko Komšić and who identifies as a member of the “Others,” lamented that Schmidt is not an interpreter of the Constitution of BiH. When Republika Srpska warned of this, the same ones who are now complaining acted deaf.
- If Bosniaks had any character, they would unite with us and we would definitely send that tourist away because he has done nothing good for BiH, nor for any entity, be it Republika Srpska or the Federation, said Sanja Vulić, head of the SNSD Caucus in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
Is Schmidt’s “reality slap” for political Sarajevo an attempt to buy sympathy with the Serb people and Republika Srpska, or simply a way to regain focus and justify his monthly salary of 25,000 euros?
- I think Schmidt is just trying to survive in a complicated country. On the other hand, the public in Sarajevo behaves quite immaturely, changing their stance from situation to situation, lacking any principles or principled rejection of the High Representative as an institution, stated political scientist Vojislav Savić.
Serbs remember well who Alija Izetbegović was, and they also remember the crimes of the mujahedin that Izetbegović himself brought to fight under the flag of the so-called Army of BiH. In the end, there was also the Hague indictment—but it seems they were waiting for Izetbegović and Tuđman’s biological clocks to run out.
Source: RTRS
