'Nikšić syndrome': Where decisiveness is needed - silence, where principle is needed - party protection

(Patria) - "We have shown that we are a government that can be trusted" - this is the headline you will see when you open the website of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of BiH.

In fact, these are the words of the leader of the SDP of BiH and the Government of FBiH, Nermin Nikšić, spoken at a party public forum held on Thursday evening in Mostar.

Nikšić boasted about the work of the Government he leads, citing, among other things, the increase in the minimum wage, the reduction of contributions, and the growth of pensions, stating that the SDP and the Government are fulfilling the promises they made to the citizens of FBiH.

Member of the FBiH Parliament Jasmina Bišćević Tokić (SDA), in an interview with the Novinska agencija Patria (NAP), touched upon Nikšić's claims, stating that he actually leads a government that cannot be trusted.

- When the prime minister says he leads "a government that can be trusted", it is only right for the public to ask - on what basis? Because trust is not declared, it is earned - said Bišćević Tokić, and went on to present the reasons why the current Government of FBiH cannot be trusted.

How can we trust the prime minister, asked Bišćević Tokić, who was unable to repair the bridge in Jablanica, so others finished the job. From this Government, we only have pictures next to the bridge after its construction.

And if you can't build a bridge, our interlocutor continued, bombarding Nikšić with questions - how can we trust you to build a system?

- How can we trust when the closest associates and directors of public companies are under travel bans, but never under measures of political responsibility. Mistakes are not sanctioned in that government, they are protected - asserted Bišćević Tokić.

According to her, Prime Minister Nikšić forgets that one cannot trust someone who appropriates what does not belong to him, "and Nikšić has appropriated the position of Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH".

- How much this move has defined Nikšić's entire mandate is best confirmed by the numerous arrests of his closest associates, as well as those who are part of the Trojka project.

The wave of arrests that has engulfed those to whom Nikšić's Government has given its trust confirms that "Nikšić's syndrome" of appropriation and alienation represents a serious threat to the interests of the citizens - states Bišćević Tokić.

For now, the federal MP continues, it appears that the federal POSKOK is a more or less effective remedy for this syndrome.

- How can we trust him when he does not dare to respond to the initiative to dismiss a member of the supervisory board from his own party who insults the reis-ul-ulema. Where decisiveness is needed - silence. Where principle is needed, we have party protection.

How can we trust when pensions have increased by a total of 4.49 percent during the entire mandate?

How can we believe in the alleged economic reforms of the federal Government when no intervention in economic flows is based on economic studies and research?

Therefore, the measures taken by the Government in the economy are not reforms at all, but ordinary populist moves. It is not economic policy, but political economy.

How can we trust when small business owners have massively shut down their companies due to the burdens imposed by this Government, while at the same time talking about "development" and "economy". Development for whom? For those who are closing their shops or for those who sit on management boards - asks Bišćević Tokić.

Also, she adds, the fact is that trade in the entity of Rs increased by as much as 73 percent in the first nine months of this year - that's what the reforms of the FBiH Government look like.

Bišćević Tokić warned that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is sinking into debt slavery.

- While public companies are failing, and party cadres are flooding every public company, the Government continues to borrow hundreds of millions of marks on the banking and foreign markets, without any explanation of where that money is.

We are entering 2026 without having discussed the Government's report from 2023. Why is there still no Law on Conflict of Interest? Who benefits from this and who is being protected?

The Law on Fiscalization also shows that they only talk and do not act, where he announced a serious fight against the gray economy, but postponed its implementation for 18 months.

Why is the prime minister silent about the investigation by the European Prosecutor's Office concerning the management of Autoceste FBiH? Is trust more important than responsibility there too, or is silence a new form of transparency?

And finally, citizens cannot trust a Government that has denied funds to 12 municipalities where 253,355 inhabitants of different nationalities live, but with equal rights, at least on paper - pointed out Bišćević Tokić.

She also points out that Prime Minister Nikšić can talk about trust as much as he wants, but until he faces these issues, the fact remains: trust is not built with words, but with deeds.

- The Government of the imposed prime minister does not have the trust of the citizens, and this is no longer a political stance, but a political fact. Trust cannot be imposed by decree, just as Nikšić was imposed on the position of prime minister, nor can it be built through media statements. It is earned through responsibility, results, and clear positions.

And there is none of that in this mandate - concluded Bišćević Tokić in an interview with NAP.

(D.K.)