Inzko with Commissioner for Justice: Fight against corruption must become a priority in BiH

(Patria) - During his visit to Brussels this week, High Representative Valentin Inzko met with European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, with whom he discussed the current state of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the non-compliance with the rule of law on the domestic political scene.

"In its first article, Annex 4 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace clearly states that BiH should be a democratic country functioning in accordance with the rule of law. However, this is largely not respected. The rule of law must be radically strengthened and the fight against corruption must become a real priority if Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to become a stable and prosperous democratic state, built on solid foundations. These are the areas on which the sincerity of politicians should be judged when it comes to their declared commitment to the path towards the EU," said the High Representative.

The High Representative took this opportunity to briefly outline the key problems in the area of the rule of law, including non-compliance with decisions of domestic and international judicial institutions. He also mentioned constant attacks on the Constitutional Court of BiH - a state judicial body firmly established by the Dayton Peace Agreement - and the long-standing non-implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court's decision on Mostar, as well as the European Court of Human Rights' judgment in the Sejdić-Finci case.

"Tens of thousands of citizens cannot exercise their civil rights because they cannot vote in Mostar and cannot be candidates in elections for numerous state positions. If Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to progress and stop the emigration of its citizens, it must decisively address the challenges in the area of the rule of law," added the High Representative.

The interlocutors also discussed the proposal for new enlargement rules, the situation regarding the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, and the Priebe report. On Wednesday, the High Representative also had the opportunity to meet with the Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourová, and to remind her that members of national minorities, such as Jews and Roma, cannot be candidates for the House of Peoples or the Presidency of BiH, despite several judgments of the European Court of Human Rights mandating otherwise.