Two Faces and Two Undersides of BiH in World Media: A Land of Fascinating Beauty and Political Absurdity

The harsh reality of BiH was vividly portrayed last weekend when, due to two completely different and incomparable events, it filled the pages of world media, writes the Patria News Agency.  

First, on Saturday, for who knows what time, the Herzegovinian jewel Mostar was in the spotlight where the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship was held, with the best world divers showcasing their skills. More than 20,000 people filled the banks of the Neretva River, and the fascinating scenes circled the globe.

This event passed without a single incident, and numerous tourists left Mostar with the fondest memories and smiles on their faces. The very same Mostar where, for the second time in eight years, there will be no local elections, where citizens have been deprived of their basic democratic right.

The unconstitutional referendum in RS on January 9th, held on Sunday, September 25th, pushed the beautiful side of BiH into the background, bringing the reality of BiH politics to the surface. The worst-case scenarios alternated in regional and world media. There will be war, there will not be war. BiH will be divided, it will not be divided.

The referendum in RS brought nothing good to BiH, except for harsh rhetoric from all sides and threats, which shook the judicial system and the constitutional order of the country.

Given the current situation, a clear question arises: What will happen next with BiH?

The day after the referendum, an analysis by Stratfor, a leading geopolitical platform, stated that deep-rooted ethnic tensions in BiH have not been resolved.

- At this moment, widespread unrest in the country seems unlikely, but isolated episodes of violence cannot be ruled out - the Stratfor analysis states.

Political analyst Adnan Huskić explains to Patria that the current situation in BiH will also affect investments.

- No serious person with money would even consider coming to BiH in a situation where you don't know what you will have in terms of legal certainty tomorrow. In such conditions, no one wants to enter a country where you don't know if it will exist or not, meaning where the very existence of the state is questioned, said Huskić.

Regarding the real implications of the referendum on BiH and the economic situation in an already impoverished country, Huskić believes that no one can state them precisely.  

- We do not have the analytical capacity to assess the real damage of this and quantify it. But a lot has been missed - says Huskić.

He explains that politicians invoke investments and economic development while simultaneously dealing with such issues. He believes that BiH's European path is not threatened, but that the EU is completely ignoring this situation.

- They lack the elements, they lack concrete mechanisms to tackle this situation, nor are they prepared to do so. They do not want to solve BiH's problems, but rather want BiH to be one of the normal countries striving towards the EU, where you can exert pressure on political elites through conditionality. You want to become a member? You must do this. Political elites do not act in accordance with the desires of the population - says Huskić, adding that elections are an opportunity to say "NO" to such politics.