Svoboda: Belgrade would not support Dodik's secession

There is great interest from the European Union to move the situation in BiH forward, and everyone wants to use this situation with demonstrations to convince leaders that it is necessary to reach a minimum consensus on the country's future, stated Hannes Swoboda, Austrian politician and Member of the European Parliament, for the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

He commented on the upcoming visit of EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle to Sarajevo tomorrow, and the announcement of Baroness Catherine Ashton's visit.

- BiH needs a basic agreement, and if politicians do not have the will to reach it now, I doubt it would change with early elections. It is high time to reach an agreement on Sejdić-Finci, and that is the priority, not new elections – says Swoboda.

When asked how to achieve this "minimum consensus" when the leader of the smaller entity, Milorad Dodik, demands secession from BiH at every mention of negotiations, Swoboda replies that Dodik should be asked how he intends to achieve it.

- Dodik should be asked what he actually plans to do with Republika Srpska. Does he think Belgrade will sacrifice the green light it received from Brussels and Washington because of him? I was in Belgrade recently, and I am sure he would not get support for such a step. Who would recognize him, perhaps some distant countries, but he should ask himself what his future is with such rhetoric – Swoboda is sharp.   

This Member of the EU Parliament also commented on reports that the European Commission, at the request of Croatia as an EU member, is pressuring Bosniak politicians to accept a third entity as an option for the reform of the Federation of BiH. Swoboda believes this is not the case.

- I don't think that's true. But that's a question for the domestic authorities. It is not up to us to impose some solutions because of Croatia, but it is up to Bosniaks and Croats to find their solution for the FBiH so that it is more functional and useful for the citizens – concludes Swoboda.