If Dodik's wings are not clipped in Brussels, he will return stronger and start the final act of the game of dividing Bosnia!

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, is already in Brussels. Although secessionist in sentiment, he was welcomed in the administrative center of the European Union. And it can already be concluded that this second High-Level Political Forum will end like the first one held in May this year, which, to be fair, few remember. Many promises and foolish beliefs.

Milorad Dodik, before leaving for Brussels, emphasizes that Republika Srpska will continue to remain in its original positions, as if he is going on behalf of a special state entity, thus having his demands. At the very least, he speaks as if Bosnia and Herzegovina is a composed country, not one consisting of two entities and Brčko District.

Dodik has adopted the position of Aleksandar Vučić regarding Kosovo. And worst of all, he gets away with it, smoothly and without much effort.

„BiH can only join the EU without foreign factors. This means no High Representative, neither real nor fake, nor foreign judges. If they deviate from that again, then they cannot say that Republika Srpska is the one hindering the processes. It is the foreigners doing it, and that is already clear,“ Dodik emphasized.

And he is partly right, because the European Union has not curbed Dodik's destructive actions, but continues to consider him an equally relevant subject for talks, even though it is clear that everyone else will return empty-handed from Brussels, thanks to Dodik's blockades. And everyone will be treated equally there. In the sense – you are all the same!

Because, as explained by the EU Delegation at the first High-Level Political Forum held on May 17, 2023, political and institutional leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina committed to implementing a certain number of key activities to move forward on the path of European integration.

None of that was agreed upon, thanks to Dodik and SNSD, who once again blocked work on reforms, but also thanks to the 'trojka' parties who believed too much that they were capable of creating a new European Dodik, thus easily handing over the levers through which Dodik is now blocking the state of BiH, and presenting Republika Srpska as a state entity, in the initial phase of establishing government.

So, the only thing that the government representatives can say at the meeting in Brussels tomorrow is that the European Union's conditions have been met by 152,488 residents of BiH ready to move towards EU countries, because life has become impossible for them in this suffering country.

And both those who travel to Brussels and those who will welcome them there bear responsibility for this. The former, because they lack decisive actions, and the latter, because they persistently refuse to call things by their real name. If the focus of the talks tomorrow will be on the basis that they have agreed to agree in order to fulfill the conditions for opening accession negotiations as soon as possible, then God pity the money spent on travel and accommodation.

Because from the first Political Forum until today, nothing has been done, and Dodik is more determined than ever in his intentions to make Republika Srpska independent.

If the 'trojka' had played a more offensive role with Dodik, instead of weakening the state of BiH with compromises, perhaps we would be talking differently today.

It sounds simply unbelievable how it is still emphasized that Republika Srpska is part of the structure or, as they say, the force leading BiH on the path to the EU, and if Dodik is listened to, this will only be possible if BiH is divided. No other way, therefore, the Brussels talks will once again show all the weaknesses we have, which are also incorporated into the famous Coordination Mechanism, because, besides Dodik, one must never forget that the 'champion of European integration' Dragan Čović also has cantons in his hands that will have a significant say in BiH's path to the European Union.

And, if Dodik is not clearly told in Brussels that Republika Srpska is not a serious and constructive partner that actively contributes to accelerating BiH's European path, because they consistently adopt anti-European laws and work towards their independence, then Dodik will return stronger and more prepared for the continuation of the fight towards final secession!