How to Patch Up SBB's Exit: Is a Paralysis of the FBiH Government and the Council of Ministers Ahead?

If we complained about the Dayton Agreement and a completely dysfunctional state, the behavior of political factors in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina increasingly resembles a Dayton misunderstanding. People who should at least agree on the most basic state-building goals do not do so. Everything has been taken to absurdity. Just recently, a change occurred, so SBB cadres were appointed to ministerial positions instead of DF, the Constitutional Court of the Federation ruled against some government appointments in companies with state capital. This was once the reason for DF to leave the coalition and the Federation Government, so its four ministers submitted resignations.

Now SBB has announced its exit from power. What awaits us in the event of this boycott? In the cantons, there would be complete chaos regarding the functioning of the government, but the biggest problem is certainly the Federation and the state.

Minority Government or System Collapse

SBB then entered the government and now will not cooperate with SDA. Komšić does not want to be in combinations with Čović, and even accuses him of attempts to divide the state. SDP does not want to cooperate with SDA and HDZ. It is impossible to create a functional government without HDZ, because it has an absolute majority in the Croatian club of the House of Peoples, both in the Federation and at the state level. Therefore, HDZ could block every possible decision of the House of Representatives in both the Federation and the state level, thereby paralyzing the executive power. As for the House of Peoples at the federal level, a government could be formed without SDA, but at the state level, this would create problems.

The only possibility is to create some kind of minority government in the Federation. It would have only 41 votes from SDA and HDZ deputies in the Federal Parliament and support on key issues from part of the opposition. So, it would be something rarely seen in world parliamentary democracies. In the Federal Parliament, only those decisions that enable the fulfillment of the most basic obligations towards citizens would pass. Respect for basic postulates and support for basic government functions would determine the positions of parliamentary parties from the opposition. It is a real blessing that the FBiH Government adopted the budget, because in the civilized world, minority governments are formed only due to the necessity of adopting a budget.

When talking about a minority government in FBiH, such a government would bring many benefits. The opposition would also get the opportunity to decide in that case.

Since the government in the Federation and the state has long ceased to deal with investments, development, and economic and political reforms, this minority government would be no less efficient than it has been so far. Namely, so far they have not even managed to convene in power for more than half a year.

Council of Ministers Without Function

The situation in the State Parliament is critical. SDA, HDZ, and SDS, with one deputy from PDP-NDP, would have only 21 deputies out of 42, which is a powerless half of that body. Therefore, the Council of Ministers will not be able to function normally.

So, we will have a problem of paralysis of the Council of Ministers.

Everywhere in the world, the formation of a minority government also means an announcement of early elections. Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have this solution in its Constitution. It is necessary to finally start amending the Constitution and the Election Law and open the possibility of early elections. That very possibility would return this country to normal flows and certainly fundamentally change the issue of responsibility of political leaders.

Because in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so far, the best functioning has been without government! It is not good when politics creates chaos in the state. Whatever anyone thinks about this new crisis of government, in the coming months we are facing a revolution in the consciousness of ordinary citizens about parties and leaders. Nothing will be the same anymore.