Right-wing sovereignists Dodik and Orban slipped on Dayton

By: Muharem Cero

The artificially heated political atmosphere of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Republika Srpska and Milorad Dodik via Sarajevo had barely subsided when the BiH ambassador to Budapest, Biljana Gutić - Bjelica, triumphantly tried to spin the announcement of Hungarian investments in the BiH entity RS as a great achievement and further confirmation of the bilateral relations between RS and, in this specific case, Hungary.

The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize the sovereignty of entities, nor the possibility of concluding bilateral agreements and any other legal acts with foreign elements; instead, it assigns exclusive jurisdiction for such actions to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its institutions. The narrative of the guest and host in Banja Luka was nothing more than another failed attempt to grant prerogatives of sovereignty to the RS entity and introduce it into the capacity of the much-desired statehood.

The mutual exchange of warm words and gentle, bovine smiles between the guest and host slipped on the Dayton constitutional construct once again.

The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina allows entities to conclude international agreements, but exclusively with the consent of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a notorious fact that the RS entity did not obtain prior consent for the "transfer" of state international sovereignty to the RS entity in this specific case.

Therefore, the announced investments in RS by the Government of Hungary and Prime Minister Orban can only be realized if and when the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina approves and "transfers", in this specific case, a part of the state international sovereignty to the Government and the RS entity.

Milorad Dodik did not overlook this constitutional obligation, and it is unlikely that Prime Minister Orban, having been advised by his counselors, was unaware of the constitutional possibilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the scope of entity competencies.

Unfortunately, the right-wing sovereignists Orban and Dodik, in their fervor for the unattainable possibility of achieving statehood for the RS entity, are trying and will continue to try to accommodate it. So far, in vain.