Muhasilović: Brussels losing influence in BiH, Washington pulling the strings

(Patria) - The arrival of European Council President Antonio Costa in Sarajevo once again raises the question of the effectiveness of Brussels diplomacy in the Western Balkans, but also introduces new dynamics into the struggle for the position of High Representative.

Professor of International Relations Jahja Muhasilović, appearing on the show "Špica" on TV Sarajevo, said that no spectacular results should be expected from this visit, describing it primarily as a visit of a "routine nature".

- The European Union organizes visits to the region every year. Sometimes they are multilateral, sometimes bilateral. Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an aspiring country where the European story has not yet been fully completed, is a mandatory stop on their schedule - Muhasilović points out.

However, what sets this visit apart from previous ones is the current political context and the quiet but fierce struggle taking place behind the scenes for the appointment of a new High Representative in BiH.

According to Muhasilović, there is an evident rift between the visions of Washington and Brussels.

While the European Union, led by Germany, France and the European Commission, pushes its "European alternative", the United States has its own favorite. This is the Italian Antonio Landi, who, although a European, is labeled by analysts as an American candidate.

Muhasilović says that the European Union is trying to position its own man in order to maintain influence in the so-called post-American order in Europe, but that their chances are slim because in the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), the United States still represents by far the strongest factor.

- As long as there was a liberal establishment on both sides of the Atlantic, the US supported the EU's role in the Balkans. However, with the arrival of more pragmatic and aggressive administrations in Washington, that support has disappeared.

Today, Europeans are faced with a situation in which Americans are pursuing a completely alternative policy and aggressively grabbing political space.

Costa's visit to Sarajevo, therefore, represents a desperate attempt by Brussels to prove its own relevance in a backyard it has considered its own for years, but where the strings are still essentially pulled by Washington - Muhasilović concluded.