What We Learned from Haris Zahiragić's Appearance - If the State Were Defended with Knowledge and Arguments, the Story About the OHR Would Be Irrelevant!

The appearance of SDA Vice President Haris Zahiragić on the show "Otvoreno" on HRT has drawn significant public attention in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Croatia. Not only because of the topics discussed, but primarily because of the way he advocated for state-building positions before an audience in neighboring Croatia.

At a time when domestic politics is often reduced to statements, mostly filled with complaints, mutual accusations, and the expectation that the international community will solve problems that domestic politicians are unwilling or unable to resolve, Zahiragić's appearance raised an important question: why have determination, arguments, and political courage become rare on the pro-Bosnian political scene?

Regardless of whether one agrees with all his political views, it is hard to dispute the fact that he appeared in Zagreb confidently, prepared, and with solid arguments.

He did not speak the language of insults nor resort to populism. By presenting facts about the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the electoral system, and the representation of peoples in institutions, he sought to challenge narratives that have been promoted for years in parts of the Croatian political space.

Perhaps this is where the most important message of this appearance lies. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina expect their political representatives primarily to defend the interests of the state and society with arguments, knowledge, and dignity.

This latter quality, in times of widespread spinelessness, is especially valued. Citizens expect people who will be capable of waging political battles without complexes toward Zagreb, Belgrade, or any international center of power. Because it is easiest to be 'Zagreb's good boy.'

For too long, an impression has been created in Bosnia and Herzegovina that key problems will be resolved through the intervention of foreigners, embassies, high representatives, or international organizations. This is precisely what we are witnessing in the polemics over the selection of Christian Schmidt's successor.

As if some Landi or Troccaz will bring security to Bosnia and Herzegovina. But security is not imported; it arises deep within the country. Just as water in a well springs from within, from the bowels of the earth, because no matter how much water you pour into a well, you cannot fill it until a spring gushes from within.

Such an approach has led to political passivity and the creation of a belief that domestic politicians do not have to take full responsibility for processes in their own state.

No international institution can have a greater interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina than its citizens and legitimately elected representatives. Help from outside can be useful, but it cannot replace political determination within the country.

That is why the resonance of Zahiragić's appearance is much greater than a single television debate. Many citizens saw in him not just a representative of one political party, but an example of a politician who was ready to go to the studio of a neighboring country's public service broadcaster and defend his views face-to-face, without intermediaries and without calculations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina today lacks precisely such appearances—clear, well-argued, and dignified. Politicians with a straight spine are missing, who will understand that respect is not gained through pleas or by calling on foreigners to fight our battles, but through knowledge, principle, and a willingness to defend one's own positions wherever necessary.

If one broader lesson can be drawn from the Zagreb appearance, it is this: citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina want politicians who believe in their own state enough to represent and defend it themselves.

Because a state that does not build its security and future from within sooner or later becomes dependent on the will of others. And the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown many times how costly such dependence can be.