MEP Šoltes for Patria: BiH lags in key areas, such as fighting corruption

Nothing has changed in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last two or three years when it comes to key issues such as the fight against corruption or media freedom, says Slovenian MEP Igor Šoltes, from the Greens/European Free Alliance group, in an interview with the Patria News Agency, commenting on the Resolution on the progress of reforms in BiH on its path to the EU, adopted by the Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

The resolution, prepared by the European Parliament's rapporteur for BiH, Cristian Dan Preda, was supported by 496 MEPs, with 132 against and 67 abstentions.

The document adopted by the European Parliament praised some steps BiH has taken on its path to the EU, while at the same time calling on BiH to overcome ethnic and political divisions, condemning the violence against members of the election commission in the recent elections in Stolac, as well as the illegal referendum held in Republika Srpska.

MEP Šoltes says the Greens did not support this Resolution, and that BiH must make further efforts in building society.

- Although the reporter's intention (Cristian Dan Preda, editor's note) was probably good, he wanted to include as many amendments as possible to harmonize different views on Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the end, it came down to the fact that nothing has changed in BiH in the last two or three years in key areas... people are still leaving, they don't have as many jobs as they would like, and the economic situation, along with ethnic and other issues, represents a blockade in the country – says Šoltes, continuing:

- After so many years, Bosnia and Herzegovina should adopt a mindset that will be cemented on the basis of the Sejdić and Finci ruling, which is that all citizens in BiH are equal, and that ethnicity is not the sole criterion for participation in government or anywhere else.

When asked if the authorities in BiH can implement the reforms he is talking about, given the high level of corruption in politics, Šoltes says:

- To stop, or at least limit the level of corruption, you need an effective judiciary that must not be subject to corruption. You also need independent bodies; primarily, I am thinking of agencies or commissions or services for combating corruption, and it would be good if in such an environment (like BiH, editor's note), these services were perhaps somewhat internationalized.

He says he is making great efforts to ensure that representatives from both the Republika Srpska entity and the Federation of BiH come to the European Parliament, the temple of democratization, and that constructive discussions begin on what Bosnia and Herzegovina should look like in the next 25 years.

- One thing is key, without the desire within BiH for the country to move forward, no one from the outside can influence it – says Šoltes.

- It has been 25 years since the first Constitution, now we need to see what BiH will look like 25 years from now. Can this progress be made within the existing framework, or are there alternatives, but that is a matter that requires an exhaustive dialogue, respecting international law and international standards, and the mentality of the region.

Do MEPs really think so much about Bosnia and Herzegovina and the citizens who live here?

- As you can see, MEPs are now thinking more about Europe, because Europe itself has found itself in an unpleasant situation; with terrorism, economic crises... in some countries, we have high unemployment rates. And, of course, the migration crisis, which has made Europe quite vulnerable. It has been shown that Europe is a collective that can work well in peaceful conditions, but after all the crises that have occurred, borders are increasingly being established within the EU itself.

But, I think the EU must be in constant contact with Bosnia and Herzegovina, to see where Europe can help BiH. Tensions need to be calmed, people need to be shown that there is a perspective. We should never underestimate the Balkans. History can teach us a lot about that. We must not react late. I'm not saying we should jump at the first sign, because there is a lot of manipulation, but there needs to be as much dialogue as possible.