Inzko Appointed High Representative for Bosnia
EU selects Austrian to help Bosnia become a functioning nation
Mar 16, 2009
Valntin Inzko, former ambassador to Sarajevo, has been appointed as the seventh High Representative for Bosnia since the Dayton Accord was signed in 1995. He will assume his role after approval from the UN Security Council on March 26th.
The relevance of the post has recently come into question after former high representatives have been unsuccessful in helping Bosnia move towards standing on its own feet as a democratic country.
High Representative Becoming Less Effective
The mandate for the position of High Representative is set to expire in June of this year. The International Crisis Group, a think tank, wants to extend the expiration until the end of the year, but Bosnian authorities are calling for the elimination of the post. Serbian politicians from the Republika Srpska, the Serbian mini-state in Bosnia, are fervent supporters of eradicating the position, because their calls for independence have been repeatedly blocked.
The role of Bosnia's High Representative is responsible for helping to build a nation that has functioning institutions. The high representative has the authority, known as the Bonn Powers, to expel any politician not acting in accordance with the spirit of the Dayton Accords.
Miroslav Lajcak, the former high representative who left the post last month, believes that the Bonn Powers have inhibited local politicians from learning to solve problems on their own. Lacjak said that use of the Bonn Powers, "postpones a time that has to comethe time when Bosnia-Herzegovina has to stand on its own feet."
The goals of the Dayton Accord are to establish a functioning state that can participate in international affairs, but Bosnia's progress has been disappointing.
Living in the Past
In June, 2008, Bosnia signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement, which was a promising step towards becoming an EU member. The SAA was meant to encourage Bosnia's politicians to look towards Bosnia's future, but they are still living in the past.
Reforms proposed by the EU to make the government more efficient have been blocked mostly by Milorad Dodik, leader of Republika Srpska. Rather than focusing on issues pertinent to EU accession and the well-being of the Bosnian people, politicians in Bosnia as well as other Balkan countries emphasize issues that appeal to emotions and increase their power, particularly ethnic disputes and nationalism.
Bosnia's Future
Due to the economic crisis, the EU cannot provide emergency aid for non-member countries. The EU's attention has mainly been aimed at stabilizing Serbia and Kosovo and reaching an agreement on Kosovo's final status.
Economic turmoil is also affecting Bosnia. According to Nenad Pejic's March 12, 2009 article for Radio Free Europe "Why is No One Watching the Balkans?" fifteen thousand people have lost their jobs in Bosnia in the past three months and organized crime has increased, especially among local authorities. During economic hard times and uncertainty about the future, politicians preaching nationalist themes are more likely to gain support, which would thrust Bosnia back towards its tumultuous past.
The future role and impact of Bosnia's High Representative is uncertain. The outgoing high representative described the position as a "dead horse," but Europe must continue to help Bosnia build an efficiently functioning nation. Help from the international community is a double edged sword. Too much help makes Bosnia a dependent country that cannot take care of itself, but without enough help Bosnia could resort to its old ways of nationalist politics and corruption.
References
"A Stuck Region" The Economist. February 12, 2009
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