EU Delegation and US Embassy: Parties must abandon maximalist demands

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Earlier this month, when US and EU officials met with political parties in BiH and civil society representatives to discuss electoral and constitutional reform, political leaders agreed to prepare before the next talks. Since then, we have witnessed only limited progress. Political leaders have not done the work necessary to align BiH's political system with EU regulations and court rulings. Furthermore, following further unacceptable escalation by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on December 10, the political crisis is deepening, stated in a joint statement by the EU Delegation/Special Representative of the EU in BiH and the US Embassy in BiH.

"Renewed mediation efforts in these talks now, before the end of the year, would unfortunately not bear fruit. Such efforts will only yield results when the parties genuinely work together to find solutions. We have heard from the ruling coalition that they are committed to constitutional and electoral reforms that can gain support in Parliament. Equally important for BiH's progress are reforms that would make elections secure and reliable, as well as the establishment of a functional Government of the Federation of BiH. It is time to fulfill these promises. We call on the parties to abandon maximalist proposals, which are not grounded in international and EU standards and have no support in parliament or society. The essence of democracy is not in constant deadlocks to force someone's demands or in imposing the will of the majority. We also call on representatives of the RS to fully return to institutions.

The EU and the US have invested efforts in a dialogue that respects the concerns and interests of all sides. This process is an opportunity to address discrimination, dysfunction, and electoral fraud. Given the political environment and climate in BiH, these reforms would be a significant step forward. The parties know what needs to be done to focus on addressing the root causes of the chronic political crisis in BiH - corruption, lack of trust, and low democratic standards. It is up to the parties to intensify engagement and come to the table ready to take further steps. Therefore, we call on all sides to engage and contribute to this process in a meaningful way, in the interest of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the statement reads.