The authorities no longer allow even to be asked: How will you resolve the priority of media freedom on this 'accelerated' path to the EU!

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Nikola Špirić, stated today after the session of the Collegium of this house that he expects reform processes to continue in legislative and executive authorities.

He added that this should be done in accordance with the agreement of political partners, and then he most referred to the election of Srđan Amidžić as the Minister of Finance of BiH. As if our reform path depends solely on this position.

Almost no one is dealing with the content of the adopted reform laws, and journalists are even forbidden to ask questions at a press conference in Istočno Sarajevo, where Milorad Dodik, Dragan Čović, and Nermin Nikšić (Elmedin Konaković and Edin Forto did not address the press) announced BiH's accelerated path to the EU.

And so, Brussels journalists were able to record statements, but not to ask for clarifications or, indeed, to ask about the content of the laws, which even the European Union has objections to.

No one, absolutely no one, answered how they intend to resolve point 12 from the famous list of 14 priorities of the European Commission with Dodik.

And that point reads: “guarantee freedom of expression and media and protection of journalists…”
Amendments to the criminal code in the Republika Srpska entity, which introduce defamation as a criminal offense, are coming into effect, which, according to the assessment of all relevant international institutions, prevents the free work of journalists.

How, then, can we proceed with the implementation of this priority, while filling the reports with violations of these rights.

However, it seems that we are dealing less and less with the substance, while with cosmetic fixes, the authorities show that they are functioning well and while they are paying great attention to the reports on the first 100 days in office!?

As if there is a fear of calling things by their real name. Because. The fact is that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not progressing on its path to the European Union, or rather, it is traveling on the wrong path, on which Marinko Čavara explains to us that eight other EU member states use an identical law that Brussels claims is not good. Of course, Čavara does not mention the names of these countries, and one can assume that Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania... apply identical laws that BiH adopts.

If these are the countries from which we will copy laws and rush towards the European Union, then it is better for our situation to remain the same. Because with or without laws, ordinary citizens can hardly feel any improvement.

Therefore, a false picture of progress, apart from the authorities, benefits no one else. It is enough to look at the state of the judiciary to conclude the long-ago expressed thought – the more laws and rules, the more corruption and theft!