Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has stated that the leadership of the European Union must change its approach toward the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, emphasizing that the will of the Serb people must be respected.
Szijjártó warned that the current attitude of European leadership toward President Dodik is very dangerous and indicative of their broader approach to the Balkans—one that disregards the will of local populations.
“Dodik didn’t win his position in a lottery—he won it in elections. The Serb people, the people of Republika Srpska, want him as their leader, and that must be respected,” Szijjártó told Politika.
He also stressed that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was elected by the people of Serbia, and that too deserves respect.
“The will of the Serb people must be respected, just as the will of all people in the Western Balkans should be. What we see is that many in Western Europe simply do not care about the will of the people. They want to dictate terms,” he said.
According to Szijjártó, when Western Europeans dislike a political leader for whatever reason, they try to eliminate him—placing him on sanctions lists, attempting to get rid of him, and funding political movements from abroad.
“The way Western Europeans treat President Dodik is not just an insult to him personally, but to the people of Republika Srpska. This approach must change. Our approach is based on respect,” he emphasized.
Szijjártó concluded by stating:
“My view is that we should not lecture the leaders of the Western Balkans, but engage in dialogue with them. If that change does not happen, I don’t see a bright future for this cooperation.”
Source: RTRS
