Schmidt, Brussels and Croatia: How the EU is Redefining BiH Along Ethnic Lines

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

It is symptomatic that the High Representative Christian Schmidt, who was effectively installed in BiH by Germany, has become one of the key actors in the process of turning our country into a laboratory of political engineering.

His decisions, often without the support of domestic institutions and with the open opposition of parts of the public, are aimed at consolidating a model that is increasingly pushing BiH into a consociational trap.

I don't know how much politicians of the so-called pro-Bosnian spectrum recognize this dynamic at all, which further complicates the difficult political moments we are in.

On the path to the famous millions from the European Union, which are coming to BiH through the Growth Plan, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is too often forgotten.

In that model, the entity Republika Srpska remains isolated and effectively outside of European processes, while the Federation of BiH becomes a "European project", but under the political and institutional control of Croatian parties, primarily HDZ BiH.

The tripartite agenda of the representatives of the international community has long been discussed, according to which Serbs get state property, Croats get the election law, and Bosniaks would only have to be satisfied with the prohibition of genocide denial.

Such a BiH is not a state of equal peoples and citizens, but a space of divided sovereignty, where every political step must receive "approval" from Zagreb or Brussels.

The European Union today speaks of millions of euros in aid, reforms, and investments, but turns a blind eye to the fact that it is buying a semblance of stability, not real democracy.

There has never been a serious criticism of what Dragan Čović is implementing, and Croatian officials regularly openly attack the sovereignty of BiH, without any reaction from Brussels. And Croatia is an EU member, so it would be appropriate, if they are serious, to draw their attention to that!

In practice, BiH is increasingly moving away from European values, not because of its citizens, but because of the hypocritical approach of those who allegedly defend those values. It is no wonder that citizens are commenting more and more positively on the appearances of the Russian ambassador on a TV station.

Under the pressure of the Zagreb lobby and with the support of certain European centers of power, a system is being created in which BiH is being reshaped according to ethnic, not civic, lines. Instead of breaking down the walls that divide us, the European Union is reinforcing them, which is also evident when meetings in Banja Luka are canceled because Milorad Dodik "threatened". That Dodik whom the ruling parties in BiH claim is former?! How can the citizens of RS take the opposition seriously if Dodik dictates who can attend a meeting?!

If this trend continues, BiH will not become part of Europe. Europe will only institutionalize existing injustices as it is already doing, most recently in the Kovačević verdict.