Čović shifts focus to Federation of BiH: Krišto will not initiate Vukanović's appointment, nor is Schmidt interested in the blockade

Last week, HDZ BiH president Dragan Čović held separate meetings with the presidents of SDP BiH Nermin Nikšić and People and Justice Elmedin Konaković. Naša stranka, according to Predrag Kojović, is still waiting for an invitation.

Čović's first meeting was with Nikšić at the premises of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. As announced on the HDZ website, the topics concerned the situation in the FBiH, ensuring the development and progress of the FBiH, as well as the smooth functioning of institutions and stable political dialogue.

A day later, at the HDZ premises in Mostar, Čović received Konaković. As announced by HDZ, a constructive conversation was held about the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special emphasis on defining key work priorities.

“Internal stability of BiH, effective functioning of institutions and authorities, as well as the continuation of a strong European path, remain imperatives for joint political action,” Čović stated.

These meetings come at a time when Čović publicly ridiculed the Trojka's attempt to exclude SNSD from state government. Although Čović held a meeting with the opposition from RS in March, everything that followed showed that HDZ had no intention of changing its long-term partner in the person of Milorad Dodik.

That things are not functioning was also evident at the session of the Council of Ministers of BiH on Thursday, when two ministers from SNSD did not vote for the Reform Agenda, causing BiH to miss another deadline and likely face a new reduction in funds, as it is the only Western Balkan country that has not submitted the Reform Program for the European Union's Growth Plan.

Both Nikšić and Konaković have stopped insisting that the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Krišto initiate the procedure for appointing Nebojša Vukanović as the new Minister of Security of BiH. Krišto cites the valid coalition agreement with SNSD as an excuse and does not want to initiate the procedure, although she did so at the beginning of March with the proposal of Goran Selak, who withdrew himself.

On the other hand, the agenda of the Council of Ministers of BiH sessions depends on the will of Staša Košarac, and the sessions themselves depend on SNSD, because without one vote from the Serb people, final and executive decisions, as well as appointments, cannot pass.

For Čović, the reconstruction of state government is a finished story, so he decided to focus on the Federation of BiH with the Trojka or a larger part of it. Given that SDP BiH has lost one MP, this will also affect the majority in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH, where some very important laws are pending.

While Naša stranka is waiting for an invitation to a meeting from HDZ, from today's session of the Main Board, they called on Krišto to ensure the functionality of the Council of Ministers in accordance with her powers, by initiating the process of appointing the Minister of Security, or to fully take responsibility for blocking the European path, together with SNSD.

Although the state government has been dysfunctional for a long time, the High Representative Christian Schmidt has not decided to act. While the crisis lasted, it was easier for him to pick grapes with Krišto than to force her to act according to the law.

Since Nenad Nešić was arrested and then dismissed as Minister of Security of BiH, HDZ deputy Ivica Bošnjak has taken over the management of the Ministry. Thus, HDZ now has the Chairwoman Krišto, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Civil Affairs in the Council of Ministers of BiH, as well as the security portfolio, while in the House of Representatives of the PS BiH it has four MPs, and the Trojka parties, with ten MPs in the House of Representatives of the PS BiH, have three ministerial positions.

At this moment, there is no state budget, nor money for the Central Election Commission for early elections for the president of RS, appointments and competitions for some leadership positions have been halted. The Council of Ministers of BiH has not resolved the situation in the management of SIPA, and the further European path is blocked. A year remains until the next elections, and everyone is already taking starting positions for October 2026. And the country can wait.