Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović stated that the appointment of a new High Representative is a question of a clash between two concepts rather than two candidates, noting that after 30 years of various experiments, some actors have begun to view the situation differently.
Cvijanović emphasized that she does not see this as a conflict between the European Union and the United States, adding that the issue is conceptual rather than personal.
“If you look at all the statements since the new U.S. administration took office, you could hear calls for domestic dialogue, domestic solutions, and accountability of local officials elected through democratic procedures,” Cvijanović told Avaz.
On the other hand, she said, there are European actors who are aware of their inability to resolve certain issues on their own or to establish themselves as credible partners for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“So, there are different approaches. One side says that the time has come for people to breathe freely, make their own decisions, and be accountable for those decisions. The other side says: ‘That is not enough for us; we do not know what to do with them or when we will admit them to the European Union,’” Cvijanović said.
She pointed out that any new High Representative appointed by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) would face a serious legitimacy deficit.
According to Cvijanović, whoever assumes the position should facilitate the transfer of responsibility to domestic institutions and certainly should not use the Bonn Powers in the manner they have been used in the past.
“Perhaps, through some imperfect compromise, someone will say: ‘The Bonn Powers will remain, but they will not be used.’ We must get used to the fact that we are living without High Representatives,” she stated.
She argued that Bosnia and Herzegovina is witnessing a clash between two concepts: one in which the country is expected to stand on its own feet and another in which it is expected to remain dependent.
“I heard a rather absurd statement by Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković, which reflects the weakness of politicians. He said that we will sit down, fail to reach an agreement again, and then the Bonn Powers will be used. My message to him is that there will be no Bonn Powers simply because you refuse to reach an agreement with someone,” Cvijanović said.
She added that she is convinced the era of imposed decisions is over. According to her, if that were not the case, Bosnia and Herzegovina would have no future.
“I am ready to talk to anyone. We constantly receive responses from the authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina saying they do not want to talk. In their view, no one is acceptable, and that is only because they are uncertain about the outcome of dialogue. They have relied on external actors to confront Republika Srpska on their behalf,” Cvijanović said.
She also assessed that the governing coalition known as the “Troika” has been largely unsuccessful in its performance.
Source: RTRS
