Threats of sanctions against Bosnian Serbs

It has been 26 years since the Dayton Accords ended the Bosnia-Herzegovina civil war, and the dividing line between Serbs, Croats and Muslims is returning. A few days ago, the Republika Srpska of Bosnia, on the initiative of former President Milorad Dodik, approved a bill paving the way for Serbs to leave the security forces and tax services. The first step towards secession and future union with Serbia?

Speaking to German Radio (DLF), Christian Smith, the international community’s High Representative for Bosnia, said in recent years that leaders had underestimated developments in the Balkans. “There was a feeling that, since nothing is heard, nothing is done, everything has gone its own way,” said the German politician and former minister. “We had underestimated the issue. Of course, in the early years Milorad Dodik worked with us constructively and today ‘s secessionist efforts, which he supports, may be explained by looking at the diary: Next year elections are held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Dodik “He’s a member of the collective presidency, he’s running for office. If he does it just to secure his privileges, if all this has to do with nepotism, I would not like to say more at this time.”

Berlin: Separatist tendencies are “unacceptable”

The new German government, however, seems to take the threat of secession very seriously, which would lead to the dissolution of the state. “The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is worrying. The secession efforts are unacceptable. To me, this means that the existing framework for sanctions should be applied to Mr Dodik,” Foreign Minister Alena Berbok said in a statement. . But what are the possible sanctions and how appropriate is their application?

Of course, there are diplomatic and financial sanctions, such as checking payments, for actions that go against the spirit of Dayton. The High Representative theoretically even has the right to oust the Bosnian Serb leader. He hints that this is not his first choice, but on the other hand: “There is this scenario in the drawer and I hold the keys. So I do not rule out anything. When you try to ensure peace, because anything else it would affect the neighboring countries, then you should have this scenario in your drawer… ”

“Young people are looking for a perspective”

The European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina is theoretically real, but practically impossible, at least for the time being. As Christian Schmidt points out, the EU has drawn up a list of 14 “prerequisites” for the start of accession negotiations, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina has not implemented – not one. The most dramatic element of the case, the German politician points out, is that everyone is dealing with micropolitical manipulations and not with the future of the country. “Everyone is talking about forms of secession, about changes in constitutional structures, and no one is talking about the fact that 70% of young people want to leave the country, because they do not see any prospects for the future,” said Christian Smith. “They do not think for a moment what they can do to keep them. And of course all these young people who are leaving do not go to Russia, they go to the EU and Germany. They have good vocational training, but they are necessary in their country.”

Silk Gray (DLF)

Edited by: Giannis Papadimitriou

Source: Deutsche Welle