Konaković's words three years ago, Dodik's actions today: How do authoritarian leaders shape the destiny of BiH?

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

In the contemporary geopolitical matrix, it is clear that world authoritarian leaders build regimes on fear, hatred, and the criminalization of the "other".

Benjamin Netanyahu, Viktor Orban, and Vladimir Putin do not hide that they base their policies on Islamophobia and nationalism, which further polarizes societies and strengthens authoritarian tendencies. When the United States vetoed the request for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, it became completely clear that such trends are not happening in isolation; they are reaching the Balkans.

Milorad Dodik used this in his latest appearance in the USA, presenting political disagreements in BiH as a conflict between Islam and Christianity. He uttered a string of lies in the interview to please world powers with sweet words. And in that game, unfortunately, he is doing well.

And domestic political actors, primarily the leaders of the Trojka, are not innocent in this process. Elmedin Konaković, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, warned three years ago about the "radicalization of Bosniaks," implying that Bosniak political demands threaten stability. At that time, he was saying what the HDZ wanted to hear! His words then not only predicted but also legitimized the discourse that today enables Dodik to openly use Islamophobia for political gain. Konaković is now clumsily defending himself, ineptly mitigating the enormous damage done to BiH.

On a global level, Netanyahu uses Islamophobic discourse to justify apartheid policies. Orban rejects multiculturalism and migration from Muslim countries as a threat to "Christian Europe." Vučić in the Balkans demonizes Bosniaks, portraying them as a destabilizing factor.

In the region, politicians like Milorad Dodik, Dragan Čović, Andrej Plenković, and Zoran Milanović play the role of contractors for this ideological matrix. Dodik denies the genocide in Srebrenica and encourages the secessionist aspirations of Republika Srpska, using Islamophobic rhetoric. Čović uses the narrative of "Christian values" to justify the segregation and marginalization of Bosniaks, while Plenković and Milanović, although declaratively Euro-Atlantic oriented, often bypass criticism of the Islamophobic and nationalist pressures from their regional allies.

This coordination is not isolated from global trends. Liberal Europe, with its occasional inaction and compromises, allows authoritarian leaders like Orban and Putin to consolidate power through the ideology of hatred. Powerful Western actors often turn a blind eye to abuses in the name of "stability" and the "fight against terrorism," and such policies directly threaten the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Within Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is an urgent need to consolidate forces and clearly reject tacit tolerance towards attempts to transform the country into a playground for authoritarian interests.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a choice today: to allow itself to be swept away in geopolitical games of hatred and Islamophobia, or to finally unite around the values of freedom, equality, and international law. The answer to this question will shape its future.