The leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) political parties and members of the presidency met in Brussels on Sunday (12 June) to adopt an agreement pledging commitment to preserving a peaceful, stable, and independent state and adhering to EU values.
A potential EU candidate state, BiH has been plagued by instability and political challenges as the leader of the Serb entity, Milorad Dodik, threatens to break away from the three-way union, and the Croats bemoan a lack of representation in parliament when compared to the Bosniaks.
Meeting in the presence of President of the European Council Charles Michel and top diplomat Josep Borrell, participants agreed that “it is essential to strengthen trust, dialogue, compromise building, and work towards peace and mutual respect among all peoples and citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina,”, especially amid the Russian war in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Michel tweeted on the “credible and strong roadmap for reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina towards our common European future.”
Those party to the agreement committed to preserving and building a functional European state among the constituent Croat, Bosniak, and Serb peoples, along with others, among the two entities and the Brcko District.
BiH is divided into two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Croats and Bosniaks and the Republika Srpska, comprising Serbs. The Chair of the presidency rotates among the three entities and is mainly responsible for foreign policy and the budget.
Meanwhile, the High Representative, a foreign individual, is the highest political authority in the country as per the Dayton Agreement peace treaty signed after the war ended in 1995.
19 key points
The group of 12 BiH representatives and leaders further agreed on 19 key points to move forward with.
These include extending the mandate of EUFOR Althea, a military deployment in the country to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
It also included taking all steps for the upcoming General Elections, scheduled for 2 October, to be organised efficiently and free from divisive and hateful rhetoric. After the vote, the authorities shall cooperate constructively to ensure the swift formation of new legislative and executive authorities within the prescribed deadlines.
Furthermore, any electoral reforms must be in line with EU law, human rights law, the BiH Constitutional Court, the Venice Commission, GRECO and OSCE/ODIHR.
On the topic of joining the EU, they agreed to deliver on a “critical mass of reforms” to restore regular policy dialogue with the EU and work decisively towards fulfilling the 14 key priorities of the Commission’s Opinion on EU membership.
Other pledges include strengthening the fight against corruption and organised crime, ensuring a professional and depoliticised civil service, and enforcing several laws such as a public procurement law, one on the conflict of interest, and several related to the courts.
As for maintaining peace and stability, the parties agreed to “take concrete steps to promote an environment conducive to reconciliation to overcome the legacies of the war, in line with key priorities and with the Joint statement of the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
It was agreed upon by Milorad Dodik, a member of the Serb presidency, his Bosniak counterpart Šefik Džaferović, and Croat Željko Komšić.
During the discussion, Republika Srpska called for dialogue and the adoption of a decision in the presidency on the situation in Ukraine.
He said he would not agree to anything that makes “any kind of qualification about the conflict in Ukraine. For all Serb Republic politicians, there are binding conclusions of our parliament which say we are staying neutral”.
Dodik, who is close to Belgrade, is also perceived as close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Dodik is also persona non grata in the US for “destabilising corrupt activities and attempts to dismantle the Dayton Peace Accords.”
Bosnian Croats disgruntled
Meanwhile, Bosnian Croat leader Dragan Čović, the head of the biggest Croat party, the HDZ, refused to take part in the meeting.
Čović tweeted that “the format was discouraging and it was impossible to reach a fair deal with those who promote the violation of the Dayton Agreement”.
“One Croat political party was asked to negotiate a political agreement with nine Bosniak and six Serb parties in Brussels today.”
Croats are the smallest of the three ethnic groups and Čović, despite claiming the support of the majority of Croats, is not a current member of the country’s tripartite presidency (representing the Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs).
The HDZ also refuses to acknowledge the current Croat representative in the presidency, Željko Komšić, saying he was elected thanks to Bosniak votes, and the party is pushing for a reform of the national electoral law, claiming it is skewed at the expense of Croats as the smallest group.
Komšić attended Sunday’s meeting, prompting Čović to complain that “It makes no sense to attend meetings that will legitimise and promote the two Bosniak members of the Presidency”.
The positions of Bosnia’s Croats and Serbs have been coming closer this year, with Čović pouring praise on the Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is openly pro-Russian and advocating the secession of the Serb Republic.
