BiH CANNOT HAVE FUTURE IN EU WITH HIGH REPRESENTATIVE

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 2 /SRNA/ - Instead of promoting genuine liberal decentralization—where responsibility and decision-making would be entrusted to elected representatives at the local and entity levels - the OHR has for years pushed centralization under the pretext of "efficiency" and "stability," international and economic policy expert Nemanja Plotan said.

SRNA publishes Nemanja Plotan's column in its entirety:

At a time when the European Union is once again attempting to accelerate the enlargement process in the Western Balkans, BiH finds itself at a crossroads between promise and reality.

With the recent approval of the Reform Agenda by the European Commission in December 2025, Brussels gave the green light for access to funds from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which promises integration into the single market and support for reforms.

However, while Montenegro and Albania are advancing toward the possible closure of negotiations as early as 2026 or 2027, BiH continues to stagnate due to internal divisions and the slow implementation of key reforms.

Over the past 20 years, the EU integration process across the Western Balkans has resembled a Latin American telenovela, with Brussels behaving like a toxic partner unwilling to commit, while at the same time preventing Western Balkan states from politically and economically "flirting" with other countries.

In many pro-liberal media outlets, the slogan "the EU has no alternative" has long been repeated, which—given the geographical position of the Western Balkans, especially countries without access to the sea—is, to some extent, true.

The very word "geopolitics" highlights geography as the main variable shaping political dynamics. The geopolitics of the Western Balkans make the EU the closest and most important political and economic partner, making membership in the Union a logical step. However, Brussels' policy over the past two decades has reached a peak of political disorientation, reflected particularly in its approach toward BiH.

Instead of adopting a flexible mechanism to support transition, the Brussels administration often imposes rigid procedures that ignore the region’s specific circumstances and send citizens the message that they do not belong to the same European family. A recent example is the changes in the entry/exit system at EU border crossings.

Long queues, the collection of biometric data upon entry and exit, and separate lanes for EU citizens and others risk not only seriously harming producers from the Western Balkans—by slowing transport and increasing costs—but also sending a message to citizens that they are not welcome in the EU.

Here, bureaucratic rigidity prevails over pragmatic solutions, creating frustration in a region that is economically intertwined with the EU but still treated as a "third party".

One reason for this lies in the practice in many European countries of relocating political actors who were less successful at the national level—or whose mandates have expired—into European institutions, where accountability is diluted and the direct link with voters is weak.

This results in the concentration of decision-making in the hands of a bureaucracy often detached from the everyday realities of both member states and candidate countries. The outcome of such an approach is a set of policies that appear abstract and ineffective, including those that have led to years of stagnation in enlargement despite geopolitical pressures calling for faster progress.

In recent months, we have heard statements from EU officials which, although formally filled with promises of open doors and support, reveal deep dissatisfaction and an unwillingness in Brussels to accept BiH without "fundamental reforms".

The Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Luigi Soreca, openly repeated the well-known EU mantra: "When you deliver, we deliver." While it is true in principle that BiH has stagnated on its EU path due to internal political paralysis, it is important to note that Brussels has also played a role in creating this political crisis by supporting the interventionist approach of the Office of the High Representative /OHR/.

Instead of promoting genuine liberal decentralization - where responsibility and decision-making would be entrusted to elected representatives at the local and entity levels - the OHR has for years pushed centralization under the pretext of "efficiency" and "stability".

This strategy has directly contradicted the Dayton Peace Agreement, which clearly grants primacy to the entities in all areas not explicitly transferred to the state level.

Paradoxically, the European Union itself supported this centralization, even though it directly conflicted with its own fundamental principle of subsidiarity—that decisions should be taken as closely as possible to the citizens.

Instead of making politics more authentic and closer to the people, the OHR has led to a situation in which almost every important decision in BiH appears foreign - imposed from the outside rather than emerging from within - thereby deepening political paralysis and further complicating the entire process of European integration.

In response to such political crises, officials from Brussels have recently reacted by blaming Republika Srpska and applying additional pressure. From threats by Marta Kos that the EU would use financial pressure - implying the loss of hundreds of millions of euros in funds - to calls by Ursula von der Leyen to take basic steps such as appointing a chief negotiator.

The message has been clear: BiH must demonstrate a more serious commitment to EU membership. However, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which a country that remains the world's last protectorate can be taken seriously in Brussels' bureaucratic circles.

If Brussels, as the stronger partner in the negotiations, truly wishes to demonstrate a serious interest in BiH becoming an EU member state, it should do so through actions rather than mere rhetoric - by ceasing to support the interventionist policy of the OHR and advocating for the abolition of the Bonn Powers.

EU membership is possible only through respect for the written letter of Dayton, which should outline the path toward democratic development and European integration for the entirety of BiH.