Kallas: The EU door is open for BiH, but stability and constitutional order must not be endangered

Sarajevo, (Fena) – The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, clearly stated after a meeting with members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo that the European Union remains committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path, warning that actions undermining the state order and stability of the country cannot be tolerated.

In her address to journalists, she emphasized that the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the cornerstone of peace and that its respect is mandatory. She warned that “any actions that undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order of this country are dangerous and unacceptable,” particularly highlighting that “the actions, legislation, and initiatives of the leadership of the Republic of Srpska undermine the work of domestic institutions, the provision of public services, and threaten the fundamental freedoms of all citizens.”

Kallas praised civil servants, police officers, and judicial workers who have not succumbed to political pressures to withdraw from state institutions, stressing that ordinary citizens pay the price for attacks on the work of these bodies.

She also reminded of the EUFOR Althea operation, emphasizing that the EU has recently increased its military presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina in response to the political crisis.

– A secure environment in the country must not be jeopardized – she emphasized.

Kallas told political leaders that they have a responsibility to overcome the crisis, not to deepen it. She also stated that “there are no shortcuts to EU membership, but the doors are open,” noting that membership is not possible without full respect for the rule of law and functional institutions that represent the state as a whole.

– The faster Bosnia and Herzegovina adopts the necessary reforms, the sooner and gradually international supervision will be phased out. Bosnia and Herzegovina can count on strong support from the European Union – said Kallas.

The Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović, from the Serbian people, presented a series of political views on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path and the role of the international community in the country’s internal processes.

Cvijanović expressed disagreement with the interventions of the international community in the legislative process, particularly commenting on the role of the High Representative Christian Schmidt, who, according to her, “changed the Criminal Code” without legitimacy.

– No institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina has passed such a law, so it was done by an unelected foreigner – said Cvijanović, adding that such moves pose a problem for the judiciary and the democratic order.

At the press conference, members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić from the Croatian people and Denis Bećirović from the Bosniak people, also spoke.

Komšić responded to Cvijanović’s previous statement, telling her that the arrest of Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republic of Srpska, is institutionally sought by the court, not by her colleagues in the Presidency. She should not expect the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to derogate judicial decisions, he also said.

Presidency member Denis Bećirović stated, among other things, that the position of the leadership of the Republic of Srpska regarding a possible peaceful separation from the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a dangerous illusion and that all attacks on the constitutional order of the country will be stopped by all available democratic and legal means.

He emphasized that joint action with partners from the international community should stop such attempts and explained that in the current political crisis, the president of one of the BH entities, Milorad Dodik, and with him “a group of lawbreakers,” do not respect not only the laws and constitutional principles of the state but also the views of almost the entire democratic world. (08.04.)