The most important goal must be the preservation of peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated Obrad Kešić, BiH’s Ambassador to the EU, during his address at the European Parliament. He emphasized that the responsibility for overcoming the crisis lies in the hands of the elected officials in BiH.
“We have weathered great storms, even greater than the one we are facing now, though it can be hard to remember that when you’re in the midst of it. To get through this storm, we need goodwill and an internal dialogue in BiH,” said Kesić, who participated in the session of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) in Strasbourg.
A lost momentum
Kešić reminded that last year marked a peak in optimism.
“Things were moving very fast. Between 2023 and 2024, we saw more key laws adopted and agreements reached than in the entire previous decade. It was truly encouraging and created a sense of optimism about BiH’s direction,” Kešić said.
Unfortunately, he noted, that momentum was lost due to elections.
“This happens when you have elections every two years, even local ones. It turns into a kind of national census. We have seen a return to nationalist rhetoric and a shift in focus away from EU-related goals. We had hoped that once the elections were over, we would regain momentum and refocus on the necessary steps to move forward. Unfortunately, that has not happened,” he stated.
He emphasized that this is the most serious crisis in BiH since the end of the war in 1995.
“We have an unnamed German bureaucrat who imposed a law that led to a conviction of Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik, throwing BiH into uncertainty, constitutional crisis, and a situation where the very foundation of peace and stability in BiH has become the central issue of political disputes. We do not know what will happen next, but we do know that this situation could lead to an escalation of the crisis,” Kesić warned.
The role of international intervention
Kešić recalled that 20 years ago, the Venice Commission condemned the abuse of Bonn powers by the high representative, explicitly stating that the claim that these powers were unlimited was incorrect and inconsistent with the rule of law and international law.
“What’s next? I believe we must rely on agreements and the statements of our friends from the United States and the EU. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and several European officials and ambassadors have all emphasized that the solution to this crisis lies in internal dialogue. The responsibility for resolving the crisis lies with the elected officials in BiH. Such dialogue must begin as soon as possible,” Kesić stressed.
He pointed out that BiH must return to the rule of law and carry out necessary reforms through agreements that are acceptable to all three constituent peoples and strengthen the foundation of the country, which is the Dayton Agreement and the BiH Constitution.
“I believe there is now a realization that the path forward cannot be imposed from the outside. This was well articulated by Željana Zovko, a member of the European Parliament from Croatia, who recently stated that the abuse of Bonn powers is not the solution to the problem, even though some would like it to be. This is something that must be addressed through internal dialogue. Taking this into account, I believe there are signs of goodwill from all sides, as well as statements not only from international actors but also from those within BiH, indicating that a way out of this situation through negotiations is possible,” Kesić said.
A way forward
Kesić reminded that even at the peak of the crisis, there was still a glimmer of hope, with agreements reached within the BiH Council of Ministers.
“Last week, we saw an agreement to move forward with the adoption of the law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and a budget agreement, which was preceded by difficult negotiations. Unfortunately, the budget was blocked in the Presidency due to objections from two members. Despite the rhetoric and the crisis, there is still potential to work towards achieving European goals,” Kesić said.
He concluded by emphasizing that the desire for peace is shared by all citizens of BiH.
“I firmly believe that achieving agreements through negotiations is crucial. There is no solution without internal dialogue. As recently emphasized by the Serb member and Chairwoman of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, the most important goal must be the preservation of peace and stability in BiH. And that can only be achieved through respect for the equality of peoples and the authority of the entities within BiH,” Kesić stated.
Source: RTRS
