The 'Troika' Appointed Their People, But Where Is the Money: Struggling Public Services Between Political Occupation and Financial Censorship

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

"The problems of financing public media services, FTV and BHRT, will be resolved when cadres are installed who work as the 'Troika' policies demand of them," stated Elmedin Konaković in February 2024, clearly alluding at the time to political ambitions to align key positions in public media with the interests of the ruling majority.

Konaković later attempted to justify and soften his words, but the message remained clear: the goal of every government, including this one, is control over the media – because whoever controls the media, controls power.

A year and a half later, Bakir Hadžimorević takes over the Federal Television, a move announced back in April by the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Nikšić. This gives the impression that the political goal set last year has now been formally achieved. However, the real question remains: does this mean that the financing problems of FTV and BHRT will be resolved, or is it still just a hypothetical concept?

Public services have been functioning on the brink of survival for years, lacking a systematically resolved source of income, a clear legal framework, and under constant political pressure.

Instead of engaging in substantive reforms and ensuring the institutional independence of the media, the discussion boils down to personnel puzzles and the distribution of "theirs" and "ours."

If the solution to saving public media services, as claimed by the 'Troika', truly lies in appointing "their people," now is the moment for them to demonstrate it. Otherwise, the suspicion remains that the goal was merely to establish control, not reform.

It is worth recalling that the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently discussed the Information on the debt of the Public Broadcasting Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). No concrete solution was offered even on that occasion.

The Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Edin Forto, also from the 'Troika', openly admitted failure.

"We have been going in circles for some time regarding BHRT, while the situation is becoming increasingly complex. This was my attempt to create political will to resolve something. I did not succeed. I received a series of explanations, mostly technical in nature. But what I know is that where there is will, there is a way. Currently, there is no will to help BHRT," Forto stated.

It remains to be seen whether the arrival of "new" people will also bring genuine political will. Because without it, no director, no matter whose policies they follow, will be able to pull the struggling public services out of the abyss they are in.