Murphy: If Dodik's goal is to diminish RS, he is succeeding, the worst is yet to come

(Patria) - The United States is unwavering in its commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and multi-ethnic character. Our policies are neither anti-Serb, nor anti-Bosniak, nor anti-Croat. The United States is decisively and openly pro-Bosnia and Herzegovina. This has been the case since the United States recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is reflected in our multi-billion dollar investments in this country over the past 30 years. On the other hand, the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, is exclusively pro-Dodik and shows little regard for anyone, including the citizens of this country or the residents of Republika Srpska, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In his statement, Ambassador Michael Murphy says that Dodik's recent reckless statements calling for the dismantling of state borders in the Western Balkans to create a single Serbian state clearly demonstrate this.

"Such statements not only destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina but also threaten the security and stability of the region. This latest escalation comes after a continuous campaign of destabilizing rhetoric and actions aimed at undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement and the state of BiH. Mr. Dodik is blocking the government, threatening peace, and seeking to blackmail or bully other political leaders in the country, as well as the international community, instead of engaging in good faith negotiations and reaching the compromises needed to adopt the reforms necessary to bring citizens closer to the European Union. In Republika Srpska, Mr. Dodik is working to deny residents their fundamental rights and freedoms, such as freedom of the media, speech, and assembly, in order to protect himself from criticism and accountability.

The sad fact is that Mr. Dodik has done very little for the people of Republika Srpska during the nearly eighteen years he has been in power. Let's start with the fact that the population he claims to defend is shrinking. Residents of Republika Srpska are leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina in droves. Entire families are concluding that building a life in Republika Srpska is neither economically possible nor politically safe. In the last fiscal year alone, the workforce in Republika Srpska decreased by 10 percent, and officials estimate that by 2028, Republika Srpska will need between 20,000 and 30,000 foreign workers to compensate for the growing labor shortage. This brain drain will undermine economic development. If Mr. Dodik's goal is to diminish RS, then he is succeeding.

The RS budget has been in deficit for years, but the worst is yet to come. In the first nine months of 2023, the RS Government borrowed long-term on the domestic market for approximately 569 million KM (308 million dollars) at record-high interest rates. The RS Government has been borrowing non-transparently from domestic and foreign creditors. In short, Mr. Dodik is placing an unsustainable financial burden on future generations. Even with such unrestrained borrowing, Mr. Dodik and his government have had to postpone payments of public sector salaries and social benefits due to a lack of funds. In many cases, funds have been taken from municipalities to cover entity-level deficits, depriving local leaders of the resources they need to support their constituents and provide basic services. None of these actions reflect concern for the well-being or future of the residents of Republika Srpska.

Mr. Dodik does not want to discuss his management, financial, and other failures, where all budget and borrowed funds have disappeared, or how he and those around him have managed to accumulate their wealth, including countless real estate properties – on a state official's salary in RS – while average citizens have struggled to build a future for themselves and their families. Instead, he wants to talk about his current legal problems and wants the people of Republika Srpska to believe that they are the result of a broad, anti-Serb, anti-RS international conspiracy. The reality is more prosaic. Mr. Dodik himself created his legal problems: they are the result of his long-standing attacks on the Dayton Peace Agreement and state-level institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr. Dodik has publicly challenged state law enforcement and judicial institutions to investigate him, even saying he would file a report against himself. Mr. Dodik knew exactly what he was doing on July 7 when he signed an illegal and unconstitutional Decree on the Law that undermines the decisions of the High Representative, and now he faces the consequences. If Mr. Dodik is a victim, as he claims, he is a victim of his own poor judgment and selfish actions.

Mr. Dodik claims his voters want him to dismantle Bosnia and Herzegovina and protect Republika Srpska from imagined enemies. I disagree. I believe that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina want what people around the world want for themselves and their families: to live in a country where political leaders and government institutions work for them with complete transparency, where a person's ability to work and succeed depends not on whom they know, but on their own talents, and where the rule of law forms the basic foundation of society. They do not want to live where their fundamental rights and freedoms are restricted or where their taxes are used to enrich a small political elite, not for the benefit of their communities. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina want to enjoy a stable and prosperous future within Euro-Atlantic institutions. This is not the path Milorad Dodik is taking. He is turning away from Europe and the prosperity it offers, and instead embracing the values of autocracy, as well as the poverty it brings. He is risking the future of RS residents in a dangerous game of escalation and lies. In short, Mr. Dodik, not an international conspiracy, is a threat to RS as well as to the democratic and prosperous future of its residents.

The United States will not stand by while Mr. Dodik and his political associates attempt to tear apart the fabric of Bosnia and Herzegovina, destabilize the country and the region, and prevent BiH's progress towards the EU. We are determined to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and multi-ethnic character of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will continue to stand with the citizens and institutions of this country and hold accountable those who are corrupt or engage in destabilizing, anti-Dayton activities. The United States remains a friend and partner to all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Murphy concluded.