© Reuters
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Democracy in the countries of the Western Balkans, which want to join the European Union, is at risk due to deepening divisions, and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is particularly worrying.
This was announced by Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Garlic-Radman before the meeting of the first diplomats from the European Union.
“The situation in the Western Balkans is deteriorating, divisions are deepening … we also see a danger to democracy,” Garlic-Radman was quoted as saying by Reuters. He also warned of calls for separatism in Bosnia.
“Action reminiscent of the 1990s must stop,” he continued, referring to the behavior of Serb member of the Bosnian presidency Milorad Dodik. and the threat of creating parallel, ethnic Serb institutions.
The political crisis in Bosnia has worried the European Union and the United States. One week after the State Department envoy’s visit to the Balkans, European diplomats drew attention to the need for a stronger response from Brussels to ensure that a new conflict can be avoided.
“I will not sacrifice peace”
While The United States is again talking about new sanctions against Dodik, Germany has threatened to suspend financial support for Bosnia. According to Berlin, calls for the secession of Republika Srpska – the ethnic Serb-dominated part of the country – are “irresponsible and unacceptable”, and Dodik is to blame. The leader himself insists that he is not talking about secession (which he has repeatedly supported), but about autonomy without violating territorial integrity. However, the new representative of the international community in Bosnia described his demands as “secession, though not in words”.
As a result, the Western Balkans have re-entered the agenda of the Council of Foreign Ministers, despite more urgent topics in many countries, such as the migrant crisis on the border with Belarus.
A few days ago, Dodik gave an interview to Reuters and explained that he had no political goals worth sacrificing for Bosnia.
“I am not ready to sacrifice peace for anything in order to fight for Republika Srpska,” he explained, but insisted that he would not give up the withdrawal of part of the national armed forces, the judiciary and the tax authorities. According to him, these bodies are the work of international envoys, not a product of sovereign will. That is why the Republika Srpska parliament will vote this month to repeal 140 laws imposed by envoys by the end of November.
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