Bad message from Brussels: BiH Presidency must send a stance on internet visas!

The proposal by the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, on introducing some kind of "internet visa" for entry into the EU for people from the Western Balkan countries, as well as those from outside the Schengen area, is interpreted by experts on EU affairs as a political-security improvisation, just as the previous idea of taxing entry into the Schengen area was, writes the BiH news agency Patria. This entry permit would cost five euros.

There have been no official institutional responses from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Brussels regarding this proposal yet, and this primarily applies to the Presidency of BiH and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only sporadic statements from individual ministers or political analysts have been heard in public.

Such a model could primarily show the dysfunctionality in BiH, given that Bosniaks and Serbs would be pushed into ghettos because Croats in BiH have dual citizenship and will not need internet visas as citizens of Croatia, which is an EU member.

Saša Magazinović, a Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and a member of the Joint Committee for European Integration, told Patria that this is a bad message from Brussels, but notes that it is still questionable whether this measure will pass.

- Various modalities have been discussed, and this is the latest one that has become public. When all is said and done, it is not too significant an amount for the European Union for the financial argument to prevail. The other side of the story, which talks about EU security and that this is one of the reasons, also has its weaknesses, because that can also be resolved in another way - says Magazinović.

He explains that "from our perspective, this can be seen as one of the messages from the EU that roughly articulates the views of those who talk about EU enlargement fatigue.".

- You have people who advocate the view that even today's EU is too large for them to be sustainable. Of course, for us from countries that are applicants for EU membership, who are in a certain stage of accession, this represents a very negative message, and I see no way for this to be understood as anything other than a negative message from Brussels towards us and our aspiration to become part of the EU - says Magazinović.

Given that BiH does not have its own government within the European Union institutions, we cannot influence the final outcome of this decision, but Magazinović expects a unified stance from the competent authorities in BiH to be sent to Brussels.

- We cannot have a role in whether this will be adopted or not, but I think it would be politically responsible for those in charge of foreign policy, and that is primarily the Presidency of BiH, to have a stance on this issue and to clearly communicate it to our partners in the EU - adds Magazinović.