This interview was originally published in the daily Oslobodjenje on 8 May 2015
1. Nearly seven years after it was first signed, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s (BiH) Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) is set to finally come into effect. This major development comes in the wake of a new Anglo-German initiative in BiH. Is it “the last straw” offered by the EU to the political establishment in Sarajevo to reboot the country’s stalled Euro-Atlantic integration process?
The European Union and its Member States have said and have shown on numerous occasions that we want Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the EU – principally because we want the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to get the benefits, such as better transport links, more jobs, higher quality consumer products and more effective justice.
The decision to put the Stabilisation and Association Agreement into force as of 1 June underlines our commitment. It is also a response to the Written Commitment of Bosnia and Herzegovina that was agreed by the Presidency, signed by the party leaders and endorsed by the Parliament.
It is now in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s interest to seize the chance with both hands and deliver on the citizens expectations. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement is the first real step forward of the country on its path towards the EU. With the Agreement in place, we build a closer and wider relationship politically, institutionally and economically. It will open a binding agenda for deep reforms that, experience shows, will both improve people’s quality of life and get the country closer to EU membership.
2. Sooner or later both the country’s citizens and the international community, which still wields considerable influence over the state, will have to confront certain unavoidable truths in BiH. Is BiH, as defined by the Dayton constitutional order, capable of being a “dues paying” member of the EU (and NATO)?
It has to be, if it wishes to deliver on its citizens aspirations, join the EU. The EU accession process requires sincere political will and functional institutions.
As for any EU-aspiring country, it will be for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions, in line with the relevant procedures, to if this will be required to meet the conditions of EU-membership. The EU accession process is a transformative process where the country and its institutions decide on how best they will comply with the common norms and rules arising from its EU membership.
3. The ruling coalition in BiH consists of the HDZ BiH, SDS, SDA basically like in 1990s, with SNSD in Republic of Srpska. Already we have seen that the new governments (s), at all levels, are staffed by largely the same ministers as the previous administration(s). We have the same political leaders in the past 10 and more years. Do you think that BiH’s political leaders want the EU membership now, because they haven’t showed it in practice, except few declarations including “the written commitments” they signed few months ago?
As you say, the Written Commitment on EU integration secured everyone’s support. Now we all need to see the concrete steps being taken. The EU has taken the first one by putting the Stabilisation and Association Agreement into force as of next 1 June. We have also started to consult the country’s institutions on the content of the initial agenda for reform and my visit to Sarajevo this 8 May is dedicated to that.
All the surveys coming out of Bosnia and Herzegovina show a strong level of support from citizens for joining the EU – always over 70% at least – and I would expect politicians to deliver on what their citizens want and expect. I believe that people in BiH are fully aware that the EU, with 500 million citizens is one of the largest markets in the world. More than 70% of BiH exports go to the EU. One thousand kilometres of your border is with the EU and all your other neighbours are progressing on their European integration path. There is no reason for Bosnia and Herzegovina to lag behind them.
4. Almost all of the required EU political, economic, and social reforms in BiH would result in the ouster from power, and likely imprisonment of the very people carrying through the reforms, as it did in Croatia. Do you think that any major political actors in BiH have any intention to surrender themselves in such a manner?
As I have said, the EU accession process is a transformative process; it aims at improving people’s lives through reforms. This process happens because in any EU-aspiring country citizens and their elected leaders want it to happen. It happens because of the citizens’ demands. This has been clearly demonstrated by the February 2014 socio-economic protests and the high expectations set on the newly elected authorities.
The signing last February of the Written Commitment to undertake the necessary reforms in the framework of EU accession should be seen in this respect not only as a commitment towards the EU, but a commitment from your leaders to deliver for the benefit of the citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the same citizens who have voted for a better life for them and their children. I have no reason to believe so far that the elected leaders would not deliver on the citizens’ aspirations on the country’s EU accession path.
5. Are Belgrade and Zagreb, because of their connections with Serbian (SNSD and SDS) and Croatian (HDZ BiH) political parties in BiH and sometimes direct involving in internal issues of BiH, obstacles or allies to BiH’s?
I follow the statements of leaders of countries in this region very closely. High officials of both countries have underlined their respect for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and independence on a number of occasions and I welcome this. For instance, Prime Minister Vucic’s first visit abroad after taking office was to visit Sarajevo.
Political parties across Europe co-operate with each other, this is normal – look at the composition of the European Parliament. Of course, such co-operation should be constructive and aim at effectively supporting the country addressing its priorities on the EU accession path.
When the Foreign Ministers met in Luxembourg at the initiative of Croatia for a working breakfast dedicated to Bosnia and Herzegovina last 21 April, the title of the meeting was ‘Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ – this speaks for itself.
6. Do you think that, beyond constitutional reform, BiH is still in need of substantive democratization? How to involve “ordinary” Bosnians and Herzegovinians themselves to intervene in the politics of their country? Are there any “models” that we could take from other countries that went through integration process?
The Progress Report of the European Commission published last October provides some very detailed analysis on this question. It pointed out that there had been limited progress in the previous year in democracy and the rule of law, in areas such as establishing functional, efficient and sustainable institutions, guaranteeing human rights, empowering civil society and ensuring impartial and efficient justice. There is much to do.
Citizens must have a greater stake in the public life of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in EU integration specifically. Through initiatives such as the Progress Report itself the EU does its part to open the door to civic participation. Civil society will be an important part of taking the initial reform agenda forward – as required in the Council Conclusions of December 2014.
The EU is funding a number of projects that encourage both the activism of civil society and the readiness of institutions for co-operation.
However, also civil society has a political responsibility to assume, namely to actively engage in the political process. We see from previous enlargement countries that citizens and civil society first and foremost have to claim a role for themselves and be a factor in the debate. In this respect there are positive experiences and lessons learned that the Commission helps disseminating. At the same time, we have no preferences for any specific model and we encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina to find its own model, where all interested citizens and Civil Society Organisations can contribute to a healthy debate on the country’s EU-accession reform path.
