Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH: Željana Zovko Abused Brussels Gathering

(Patria) - Yesterday, Croatian MEP Željana Zovko (EPP) organized a conference in the European Parliament (EP) titled "EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans, Youth and the Impact of Parliament's Resolution – The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina". The event was also attended by Josip Grubeša (HDZ BiH), Minister of Justice of BiH.

According to MEP Zovko, the gathering was organized on the occasion of a visit by youth from BiH to the European Parliament. In the name of "youth from BiH," the HDZ BiH Youth actually spoke, and from their address in the European Parliament, it could be concluded that the main problem for students in BiH is the election of Željko Komšić as the Croat member of the BiH Presidency.

The Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH pointed out that although it was announced as a gathering dedicated to EU enlargement and the perspective of youth from BiH, its sole topic was "legitimate representation of peoples." In the interpretation of Ivana Maletić, an MEP from Croatia, this issue was presented as "fighting a difficult struggle for survival" of one constituent people.

Tijana Cvjetićanin from the Initiative for Monitoring European Integration reacted to such statements, asking the present EP rapporteur for BiH, Cristian Dan Preda (EPP), to clarify his and the European Parliament's stance on the implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments in cases of constitutional discrimination that has been repeatedly confirmed. "What we heard today is absurd. The European Union has tasked Bosnia and Herzegovina with enabling equal rights for those who do not belong to constituent peoples, not with securing a member of the BiH Presidency for HDZ," Cvjetićanin said.

Particularly worrying messages, the Initiative warns, came from another MEP from Croatia, Ruža Tomašić (ECR), who, as emphasized by the organization, found it appropriate to emphasize that her origin from BiH dates back to the 12th-13th century, with the remark: "Just look how far the borders of Croatia once extended."

EP rapporteur for BiH, Cristian Dan Preda, reacted sharply to MEP Tomašić's statements, asking her how many politicians from BiH she had actually spoken with about the EU integration process, and added that it is her parliamentary group (ECR) that actually does not want to see BiH in the EU. MEP Tomašić demonstratively left the gathering after his statement.

Preda appealed several times to all present to stop offering illusions to citizens and to focus on concrete issues awaiting Bosnia and Herzegovina: "Do not think from an ethnic perspective if you want BiH to progress," he said.

The Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH considers it indicative that such a gathering was organized immediately before the vote on the Resolution on BiH before the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs. "It would also be interesting to know at whose expense Josip Grubeša, Minister of Justice of BiH, participated in this gathering, given that he was addressed as minister during the event," concluded the Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH, Patria reports.