Preljević: BiH is turning into a territory predominantly managed from Belgrade and Zagreb

(Patria) - Professor Vahidin Preljević of the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo emphasized that the current BiH government has not fulfilled its pre-election promises and that decisions on fundamentally important issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina are still being made in Belgrade and Zagreb, while the pro-Bosnian bloc within the government is dealing with less important and local issues.

The regular session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Krug 99" was held today on the topic "A Year of Spent Illusions: Is BiH Becoming a Colony of Greater-State Policies?", with Vahidin Preljević from the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo as the keynote speaker.

The president of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Krug 99", Adil Kulenović, pointed out that a so-called "Israeli-ization" policy is at play, and that this is a new term in sociological and political lexicography, denoting someone who wants to take over another's territory to which they have come.

- Whether this policy will prevail today in Ukraine or in Israel as a model of behavior in the future also concerns us in BiH. The fact that South Africa and Chile have filed a request and initiated proceedings for war crimes, genocide, and apartheid in Gaza, and that they have been supported by other countries, such as Jordan, Malaysia, and Turkey, indicates that the world will not remain silent about this aggressive, expansionist, and genocidal policy - said Kulenović.

He stated that peace and justice in the world could be established if European countries treated Israel, BiH, and other countries in a way that does not allow neighboring countries to interfere in their internal politics.

- Otherwise, we will constantly live in a state of tension, uncertainty, and fear of the future, and in a way, in a state of risk of new conflicts - Kulenović warned.

He called on bar associations to review the verdicts for war crimes and genocide in BiH in the context of the need to remove the consequences of aggression and genocide.

Session keynote speaker Preljević emphasized that many illusions have been spent over the past year, but that two are key.

- The first illusion was the expectation that the formation of new authorities would bring about some fundamental change for the better. The second consisted of the widespread public expectation that the international community would build and, in some scenario, defend the state in our stead - said Preljević.

Recalling the pre-election promises of the current government, Preljević stated that there has been no systematic fight against corruption, that coalition partners have not embarked on the path of pro-European policy, that the new government has not made significant progress towards membership in the European Union, and that, in general, there has been no change in the political paradigm in BiH.

- None of the promises have been fulfilled, and in many segments, we have moved backward - said Preljević.

In the context of regional relations, Preljević stated that in recent years there has been a noticeable tendency for BiH to turn into a territory predominantly managed from Belgrade and Zagreb. He added that the international community essentially supports this process or views it neutrally.

- The will of the majority of the citizens of this country has been pushed to the margins. Key security levers have been handed over to political forces that do not want BiH. The nominal pro-Bosnian part of the BiH government, embodied in the "trojka" coalition, has been reduced to dealing with less important issues and local politics, while decision-making on strategic issues is being moved to Belgrade, Zagreb, or the international community - concluded Preljević.