Ex-high rep: Bosnia headed toward dissolution

Former High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown says that the country is headed toward dissolution. He told Sarajevo-based daily Dnevni avaz that Republic of Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik had a plan to make Bosnia-Herzegovina completely dysfunctional. Ex-high rep: Bosnia headed toward dissolution Ashdown explained why he had called the RS leadership “separatist” and called on the EU to isolate the RS. “For full 11 years Bosnia-Herzegovina was headed down the path of unity, functionality and toward the EU, however in the last five-six years the dynamics has changed and it is going in the opposite direction,” he warned. When asked what could happen with Bosnia-Herzegovina, the former high representative said: “I do not thing that there will be violence, but unfortunately it should not be ruled out completely. But I believe that there is a realistic danger that Bosnia-Herzegovina will become a dysfunctional black hole. Politicians need to take responsibility and act constructively in the interest of the citizens”. When asked where, in his opinion, the danger was coming from, Ashdown said that it had started in the RS. “The danger, in fact, is the dynamics that is headed toward the dissolution and breakdown and not toward unity. It started in the RS, Milorad Dodik started it when the international allowed him to make threats with reforms, independent judiciary, state fiscal system and other state structures that have been built for 11 years. The EU has not appeared strong enough to stop this. As a consequence of such RS position there are voices about the third entity. That means that Bosnia is going back, to a situation in which there are only two entities and there is very little left of the state,” he stressed. When asked to comment on his statement that Dodik and the RS leadership were separatists, Ashdown said: “Yes, because this is exactly what they are, separatists. I am not saying that he (Dodik) will secede by force but that he is playing the role like (former Montenegrin PM) Milo Djukanovic and is keeping the state dysfunctional so everybody would give up on it.” “The way I see it, the EU needs to be much more decisive, it must not allow them to tear down what has been reached. And I said very clearly what should be done. First, the EU should only talk to those who are in favor of strengthening the state, instead of its breakdown. Second, the continuation of Belgrade’s progress toward the Union must be conditioned with the fact that Serbia must explicitly say that it is against any step that could weaken the state. And third, the EU must be more energetic in use of its pressure mechanisms, meaning to use the resources it invests so those who are blocking the European road do not get them,” Ashdown concluded. Paddy Ashdown Blic

Ex-high rep: Bosnia headed toward dissolution

Ashdown explained why he had called the RS leadership “separatist” and called on the EU to isolate the RS.

“For full 11 years Bosnia-Herzegovina was headed down the path of unity, functionality and toward the EU, however in the last five-six years the dynamics has changed and it is going in the opposite direction,” he warned.

When asked what could happen with Bosnia-Herzegovina, the former high representative said:

“I do not thing that there will be violence, but unfortunately it should not be ruled out completely. But I believe that there is a realistic danger that Bosnia-Herzegovina will become a dysfunctional black hole. Politicians need to take responsibility and act constructively in the interest of the citizens”.

When asked where, in his opinion, the danger was coming from, Ashdown said that it had started in the RS.

“The danger, in fact, is the dynamics that is headed toward the dissolution and breakdown and not toward unity. It started in the RS, Milorad Dodik started it when the international allowed him to make threats with reforms, independent judiciary, state fiscal system and other state structures that have been built for 11 years. The EU has not appeared strong enough to stop this. As a consequence of such RS position there are voices about the third entity. That means that Bosnia is going back, to a situation in which there are only two entities and there is very little left of the state,” he stressed.

When asked to comment on his statement that Dodik and the RS leadership were separatists, Ashdown said:

“Yes, because this is exactly what they are, separatists. I am not saying that he (Dodik) will secede by force but that he is playing the role like (former Montenegrin PM) Milo Đukanović and is keeping the state dysfunctional so everybody would give up on it.”

“The way I see it, the EU needs to be much more decisive, it must not allow them to tear down what has been reached. And I said very clearly what should be done. First, the EU should only talk to those who are in favor of strengthening the state, instead of its breakdown. Second, the continuation of Belgrade’s progress toward the Union must be conditioned with the fact that Serbia must explicitly say that it is against any step that could weaken the state. And third, the EU must be more energetic in use of its pressure mechanisms, meaning to use the resources it invests so those who are blocking the European road do not get them,” Ashdown concluded.