Without Fulfilled Conditions: Čović Blocks BiH on the Path to the EU by Submitting Application!?

Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Dragan Čović has announced a new date for submitting a credible application for BiH's EU membership – now it is February 15. Not so long ago, on December 17 last year (just over a month ago), Čović stated at a press conference that BiH would submit the application in January and that this is a historic event for this country, writes the Patria news agency.

After that, on January 5 this year, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Denis Zvizdić stated that the submission of the application would follow in the next few months, because official Brussels clearly warned Bosnian politicians that the basic conditions – the coordination mechanism and the adaptation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement – have not been met. Then, a few days ago, member of the Presidency of BiH Bakir Izetbegović also spoke out, saying that in addition to these two conditions, BiH must also publish the results of the population census conducted back in 2013.

However, all this does not stop Čović in his intentions to submit the application on February 15. The European Union is united in its stance – it is too early to submit the application. Attempts are being made, directly and indirectly, to convey this to Čović, as well as to the other two members of the Presidency of BiH, Izetbegović and Mladen Ivanić, who support him in this.

Čović's term as chairman expires on March 20. It is possible that because of this, he wants to include the submission of the application to Brussels in his activities at any cost, so that he can possibly boast about it in the pre-election campaign for this year's local elections. Perhaps Izetbegović and Ivanić are also counting on such a scenario, to profit in the campaign.

If that is the case, then it is a matter of extremely frivolous intentions on the part of the members of the Presidency of BiH, and especially Čović, to disgrace the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Brussels due to personal interests.

On the other hand, the question arises whether this might be about dangerous intentions, namely, to consciously block the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina by submitting a non-credible application? Because, if Čović indeed fulfills his announcements and submits the application on February 15 without meeting the conditions, it will lead to a blockade of the EU path. Brussels still has patience and sends packaged diplomatic messages not to do this.