Efendić: It is worrying that centers of power treat Bosnia and Herzegovina as an object, not a subject of political events

(Patria) - The resignation, and we can freely say dismissal, of High Representative Christian Schmidt is a precedent, as it is the first time this has happened in such a way, said the President of the Party for BiH, Semir Efendić, this evening.

- We have had many High Representatives, but for him to be, I will say dismissed, although he resigned, so suddenly, and right before the session at which he is supposed to submit his six-month report - this is a major political event and it really needs to be seriously considered - Efendić said as a guest on Televizija Sarajevo.

Efendić believes that certain pressure was exerted on Schmidt from international circles to step down from that position.

- It is indicative that this is happening just before the UN Security Council session, and thus his report loses some of its significance. If you have already resigned and are no longer in that position because you have announced your departure, the weight of what you submit in the report is much less.

And when you add to that the fact that Milorad Dodik has repeatedly announced that Schmidt will leave, that he actively fought publicly as the president of the RS entity, and today as the president of SNSD, against that same Schmidt, then some things become a bit suspicious - Efendić emphasized, reports Patria.

He assessed as worrying that the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly had no information about this, and especially that the international community, or rather the centers of power, treat Bosnia and Herzegovina as an object, not as a subject.

- It is not important at all, nor was anyone asked the representatives of the authorities in Sarajevo what they think about his work, whether it is time for him to resign now, or whether he should resign after the elections.

We also had those stories that he would stay until after the elections, and it is somewhat worrying that our country is viewed exclusively as an object of these major political events - says Efendić.

In this specific case, Efendić believes, it might have been important what they think in Banja Luka, what the smaller BiH entity has to say about it, but what Sarajevo thinks - apparently, no one cared.

- Let's add to this the recent visit of the son of US President Donald Trump to Banja Luka, so the picture is roughly complete that the smaller entity has a significant influence on some events or decisions regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that in Sarajevo, nothing is known about it, nor can it be influenced - emphasizes Efendić.

He reminds that Milorad Dodik announced such a scenario with Christian Schmidt several times.

- On the other hand, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, just a day or two before that, says that they have controlled it, that Dodik's attempt to oust Schmidt remained only an attempt, and so on.

It is clear that he does not control the situation or the information. The main lesson from all of this is that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a subject of events. And that's where we get to what awaits us with the new High Representative - said Efendić.

He also commented on Christian Schmidt's work, assessing that it was very harmful to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- The work of this High Representative was harmful in the part where he imposed decisions related to the Constitution of the FBiH, the Election Law, and his attempt to oppose Milorad Dodik was not brought to an end, and that is the problem.

However, there was a great opportunity for our authorities to end Milorad Dodik in prison by amending the Criminal Code that was passed by the High Representative. That was in 2024.

There was full support from the international community for our institutions to do their job, but they did not want to.

They were encouraged by our representatives of authority in Bosnia and Herzegovina not to do their job. It was said that the police must not do their job, that armed people must not be sent against armed people.

This was a truly great opportunity where the international community left room for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to deal with Milorad Dodik through legal, judicial means.

He was the subject of a process according to the law passed by the High Representative. This angered him greatly, but I remind you, all these processes happened because of his attempts to seize state property.

And the outcome of this whole situation will show us whether he won. If the property is given for use to the entities, Dodik succeeded in defeating both Christian Schmidt and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And if the state remains the owner and subject with the right to dispose of state property through its institutions, which it can cede to entities or someone else, then it is still a victory for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It remains to be seen how this issue will be approached - said Efendić, reports Patria.

Speaking about the new High Representative, who according to announcements from the US should be appointed by the end of June, Efendić says that the announcements that it could be an Italian should worry us, "for the reason that the previous High Representative came through some kind of lobbying from Zagreb."

- The selection process for candidates itself is very non-transparent. We don't know where this candidate is from. Who suddenly mentions the name and surname, biography of a candidate, and the path is not entirely clear to us. Do they have the right to propose him from the Peace Implementation Council member states?

Simply, it is not clear through which path the High Representative comes, and I am not sure that he represents his country there. Various politicians represent various international political organizations, and they can sometimes act for an international center of power, not specifically for the country they come from.

It is very common for them to work in their country against their country for someone from outside. Nothing unusual for today's world of politics. However, the previous High Representative did not come to Sarajevo, but to Dubrovnik.

He landed there, although there is an airport in Sarajevo, and then via the Ivanica border crossing he came to Trebinje, then from Trebinje to Mostar, and then from Mostar to Sarajevo.

That's roughly how he acted. He made amendments to the Constitution that were very harmful to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and which were actually aimed at strengthening what we call the third entity or the policies of HDZ. And he managed to implement it consistently to the end.

And regarding his conflict with Dodik, he did not bring it to an end, although not only due to his responsibility, but also due to the irresponsibility of our institutions, both judicial and police, and primarily the executive authorities at the level of the BiH Council of Ministers - concluded Efendić.