Another conflict is approaching between Bosnian Serbs and Sarajevo
There seems to be another conflict in the Balkans. Bosnian Serb leadership is trying to & mdash; at least in words, & mdash; to accelerate the withdrawal of the Republika Srpska from the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to Bosnian Serb coalition leader Milorad Dodik, the decision should be made by the end of January. Previously, it was about six months, which, moreover, gave the parties room for maneuver in negotiations. Is it far to a new hot phase of smoldering Balkan confrontation?
Milorad Dodik. Photo: AP
At the beginning of December, members of the People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Republika Srpska voted in favor of the republic's representatives from the Bosnian armed forces, as well as the judiciary and the tax system. Legislatively, it was decided to rectify this in special laws, the development of which was officially reserved for half a year & mdash; thus until May 2022 inclusive. Bills must also be coordinated in advance with the BiH authorities, otherwise political disagreements can easily turn into real conflicts.
However, MEPs have instructed the regional government to draft new laws for the military, taxes and the judiciary to replace Bosnia and Herzegovina's existing regulations.
Yet & nbsp; Milorad Dodik, the leader of the ruling Bosnian Serb coalition, announced that laws on a new judicial system in the Republika Srpska would be passed in January, de facto removing the semi-autonomous entity from the jurisdiction of the BiH authorities.
Dodik found a formal reason to hurry easily. The fact is that even after announcing the plans for a six-month review of the legislation, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has initiated proceedings against the authorities of the Republika Srpska & mdash; for the alleged attempt to “undermine the constitutional order”.
Dodik made good use of it and pointed out: look, they say, we are ready to negotiate, but we are already in the position of the accused.
All this tension of rhetoric in the case of the Balkans is much more dangerous than in many other troubled regions. Since the previous conflicts, there are plenty of weapons and “hot heads” that can try to take real power into their own hands due to legal delays. This attracted the attention of Dodik, the hero of the news on the front page, which is not very common.
At the same time, as Pavel Kandel, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph.D., noted in an interview with the Ministry of Science, I do not think there will be a new war in the near future, and the question remains whether the reform announced by Dodik will take place, “mdash The fact is that when his proposals were voted on in the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska, the opposition & ndash; and they are also Serbian parties & nbsp; “The situation is therefore ambiguous. And all of Dodik's statements, other initiatives, in fact the usual electoral trick that he and all the Balkan leaders regularly practiced. On the eve of the election campaign, start a “war” with some enemies, whether internal, external, and that's what we're watching now. >
“ On the eve of the previous elections, the situation was similar, & mdash; recalls the expert. & mdash; And there were also Dodik's loud statements, which Western countries inadvertently toyed with and attacked with accusations: and that was all he needed – & mdash; to show how he allegedly fights for the national just cause for which he and the enemies are “ washed away & # 39; & # 39 ;. Thanks to that, he won the election. He now basically uses a similar scheme. At the same time, after the last elections, promises were indefinitely postponed as a referendum on the secession of the Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina & mdash; due to outdated & # 39; & # 39 ;. Although it was one of the main threats. & # 39; & # 39;