Balkans | Satisfied with the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina after being granted candidacy status in the European Union

Oliver Varhelyi, a member of the EU Commission responsible for enlargement, said that there have been rapid and positive developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina after last year’s general elections and the granting of EU candidate country status.

Varhelii spoke at the session of the General Assembly of the European Parliament on the “Strengthened Enlargement Policy towards the Western Balkans”.

Noting that the granting of candidate nation status to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of last year had already had a positive impact on the country, Varhelyi noted the rapid progress in forming governments after the general elections in October.

“We have never seen governments formed so quickly and based on such a broad political consensus.” Making up his mind, Varhelyi said, “Our bid for Bosnia and Herzegovina was taken very seriously by the entire country, including Republika Srpska (Republika Srpska). He said.

Varhelyi stressed that this does not mean that membership criteria will be relaxed, “We have 14 basic priorities that must be met in order to move to the next stage, which is the beginning of accession negotiations.” male.

Varheli stressed the urgency of accelerating Sarajevo’s accession process, saying, “The country has lost at least five years and cannot afford to lose another five years. Young people are leaving the country. The country’s economic base is weak. That is why Bosnia and Herzegovina needs Europe.” He said.

Regarding the separatist agenda of the Republika Srpska and the freezing of EU funds for the city of Banja Luka in the Serbian region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Varhelyi said, “Our condition for re-establishing funding for this city is the return of the representatives of the Republika Srpska part of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and securing their own rights.” He rated it.

Controversial electoral reform

EU Commissioner Varhelyi also supported the electoral reform put forward by High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, saying, “The solution is an electoral reform that was voted on by the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Parliament.” Use his statements.

The aforementioned reform sparked protests over Schmidt’s claim that he would amend the election law by “imposing”. The negotiations to reform the electoral law, which started in Sarajevo with the EU delegation, ended without any results, as no consensus was reached between the Bosnian and Croatian parties.

As part of Schmidt’s so-called “function package”, the number of delegates of the founding peoples (Bosnian, Croat, Serb) in the People’s Assembly of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be increased from 17 to 23, while the number of delegates and representatives of regions inhabited mostly by Croats will increase into cantons. ten union. He stated that this decision by Schmidt, which raised the number of seats in the People’s Assembly from 58 to 80, was in favor of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the Croatian nationalist party in the country.

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