go to the original language article
STRASBOURG – The European Parliament late on Wednesday called for peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the actions of the Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik that led to increased tensions, and Croatian MEPs in the debate warned of the dangers of unitary policies and the concept of a ‘Serbian world’.
The BiH Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday asked the police agencies to bring in for questioning the leader of the Bosnian Serbs Milorad Dodik, the Prime Minister of RS Radovan Višković, and the speaker of the entity’s National Assembly Nenad Stevandić. Dodik responded with the announcement of adopting a new constitution in the entity and statements like one that the political situation in BiH will soon resemble the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Members of the European Parliament on the same day discussed “secessionist threats” in BiH.
“It seems the enthusiasm for reforms has evaporated and that BiH has re-entered an institutional and political crisis,” said Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, the European Commission’s representative in this debate. He emphasized that it is crucial for Bosnia and Herzegovina to return to the path of reforms so as not to lose the opportunity for receiving a billion euros of investments from the growth plan for the Western Balkans.
MEP Željana Zovko (HDZ/EPP) expressed regret that the debate is being held so late, at 10:30 pm, which shows there is no interest in BiH.
A relatively short half-hour debate on BiH was the last item on the agenda of the EP’s plenary session on Wednesday.
The current escalation was caused by separatist but also unitary policies “disrespecting the basic rights” of the people, and the only way to stabilize is the reform of the electoral law without which BiH will “continue to be a time bomb in our immediate neighborhood,” added Zovko.
Green MEP Gordan Bosanac said that it is important to support a comprehensive and sovereign BiH and condemn any attempts at separatism, but that it is even more important for such behavior to be condemned by the citizens of BiH themselves as it is “the crown of failed policies characterized primarily by nationalism, nepotism, and corruption.”
MEP Davor Ivo Stier said that the EU, USA, and NATO in recent days have shown that they will not allow the destabilization of BiH.
“We also expect Serbia to abandon the concept of the ‘Serbian world’ and condemn the separatist policy that undermines the sovereignty and integrity of BiH,” he said.
“BiH needs peace, security, and a European perspective, not divisions and undermining of the constitutional order.”
The concept of a ‘Serbian world’, by which some politicians in Serbia advocate the unification of all Serbs in one state, was also discussed by MEP Karlo Ressler.
“The crisis that has arisen did not happen overnight. For years, the unique formula of one state, two entities, and three constituent peoples has been dismantled from various sides.”
His party colleague Tomislav Sokol said in his speech that “while some in BiH are looking towards Moscow and Belgrade, and others towards Ankara, Croats consistently advocate European values such as democracy and equality.”
Sokol said that the danger of separatism is often discussed, but the problem of unitaryism is minimized. (March 13, 2025)