REACTIONS TO SCHMIDT'S HEARING HDZ's David McAllister Trampled Democracy and Silenced MEPs in AFET

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Reactions are not subsiding to the hearing of High Representative Christian Schmidt before the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and the fact that it was held behind closed doors. 

"And guess what happened: the High Representative appeared, but the AFET chair from Zagreb/HDZ, David McAllister, held Schmidt's hearing behind closed doors, silencing all MEPs who participated in the meeting. No transcript. No recording. No accountability. Democracy in BiH has been trampled again," said Jakub Bielamowicz, an analyst at the Institute for New Europe. 

Tineke Strik responded to these words: "The reason why GreensEFA requested this hearing was for Schmidt to be publicly accountable to the citizens of BiH, as he has been hiding from public explanation of his divisive decisions since October 2nd. Closed-door meetings are in no way a substitute for democratic accountability." 

Klemen Grošelj shares a similar opinion, stating for Patria: "Although the discussion was in camera, it could have been open to the public, because what Schmidt said in that session could not have been a reason to close the session, although it is common practice, as speakers are expected to present some politically or otherwise sensitive issues. But in this case, that was not the case." 

It seems that radical, right-wing oriented currents within the European Union, lobbied by Schmidt, have succeeded in ensuring that citizens and the BiH public do not have insight into the hearing that was supposed to provide answers to numerous questions about Schmidt's actions.