Efendić: How can we talk about progress when the state doesn't even have a budget

(Patria) - The President of the Party of BiH Semir Efendić spoke today in the Rezime program of Federal Television about the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Referring to the European Commission's recommendation to open accession negotiations for BiH to the EU, he said that the decision was expected, even though we are witnessing that BiH has not fulfilled everything that the EU demanded.

Processes that have been going on for decades

- One of the laws was not passed, perhaps the most important in this set. It is good that this is finally behind us, that a date is set if possible and negotiations begin.

For the reason that we stop this big story about the European path, and start dealing a little more with other problems that have accumulated in all areas of life.

The countries of the region opened negotiations long ago, and these are processes that have been going on for decades. This in itself does not necessarily mean much in practice - says Efendić.

He also points out that we are only talking about one topic, and today we do not have a BiH budget for 2024, nor is anyone talking about it. And everything else is put aside because of the story about the European path.

- We could see through this process how much of it is quality reform, and how many of them are forced sessions, urgent procedures.

I hope that BiH will finally open negotiations, so that we can deal with other problems in our country as well - emphasizes Efendić.

He assesses that it is good that BiH does not remain alone outside the European train, but, as he says, no special progress has been made.

- It is clear that the war in Ukraine has caused a different attitude of the EU towards this process, and the decisions are more a matter of assessing the geopolitical situation, or the possibility of its worsening in the Balkans, and also aided by the behavior of Milorad Dodik, who travels to Belarus and Russia every now and then.

How can we talk about progress when the state doesn't even have a budget, it's absurd - adds Efendić.

He characterizes the content and quality of the adopted laws as very questionable.

- Previously, we had a conflict of interest law that applied to all institutions and was enforced by the Central Election Commission as a state institution. Now we have adopted a law that will only apply to officials at the state level - notes Efendić.

He also adds that it is somewhat amusing to watch our party leaders, the heads of government, as if they are on some EU leash.

- They don't know anything else. All they have done is adopt a few laws that the EU requested. As if BiH doesn't have inflation, as if the Border Police is fully staffed…

Dodik and Čović gained all levers of power

I would like the government to start dealing with concrete problems, instead of telling us how fast we are going on the European path - said Efendić.

According to him, Bosnia and Herzegovina has regressed in many aspects in the last year.

- BiH is in a much more difficult situation. The story about the EU has been used to a large extent by Dodik and Dragan Čović to bargain and gain all possible levers of power, and the Trojka generously ceded positions in numerous institutions, in return for the consent of HDZ and SNSD to vote for such half-hearted solutions.

The law on courts remains. This text adopted by the Council of Ministers is very bad and it is better that they do not adopt it, because it reduces the jurisdiction of the BiH Court. The requirement of the Venice Commission that BiH have a Supreme Court is not being met - these are Efendić's words.

He emphasizes that BiH is in big trouble when people who have absolutely no role in foreign policy appear in its name at international diplomatic forums.

- The Prime Minister of the FBiH entity or the president of the RS entity, when they appear on the international stage, they only deny the state of BiH. This is reminiscent of the period before the breakup of Yugoslavia, when the presidents of the republics began to solve problems - adds Efendić.

He is of the opinion that an agreement on amendments to the Election Law of BiH will not be reached, exclusively because HDZ does not agree to any changes that do not involve resolving the issue of electing the member of the Presidency of BiH, which is constitutional matter.

- I am also somewhat afraid of the decisions of the High Representative. It has been shown that so far they often cause numerous negative consequences. He has interfered in the election law in FBiH on several occasions - said Efendić.

He also touched upon the work of Nermin Nikšić's government, saying that he did not believe that they could drag FBiH into an abyss so quickly, so disastrously.

- In such a short time, they have reached a situation where they are borrowing half a billion marks. The FBiH Parliament is actually not working, it is stalled due to the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge.

They have made a very narrow majority, they bought a few deputies at the last minute, now these people are blackmailing. How can you have a Minister of Internal Affairs based on one deputy in parliament?

What do we need evidence for, everyone can see how some appointments of ministers in the FBiH Government came about. Probably there is more that is being sought, plus this with HDZ, which does not allow anything without the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge - concluded Efendić for Rezime.