The decisive turning point for Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in linking the closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to the country’s accession to the European Union. Otherwise, the country risks remaining trapped in a dysfunctional Dayton framework that is incapable of producing meaningful reforms.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state without victors—and that need not be a disadvantage. However, ethnonationalist parties continue to prevent the emergence of a political consensus within the moderate center. The Dayton system has primarily fostered clientelistic networks and corruption rather than effective governance.
To build a functional state and combat corruption effectively, Bosnia and Herzegovina requires fundamental institutional reforms. Three priorities stand out:
- The collective Presidency should be transformed into the office of a single President of the state.
- The principle of majority rule must replace the current consensus-based decision-making system; otherwise, every reform remains vulnerable to vetoes by a minority.
- The House of Peoples (Dom naroda) should be limited to matters of cultural and identity protection and should no longer be able to block decisions concerning the state as a whole.
Once these fundamental reforms are implemented, additional necessary changes will become considerably easier to achieve.
The Role of the International Community
Since the European Union is engaged in a geopolitical competition for influence in the Western Balkans, it must demonstrate greater strategic confidence. A European mentor state—such as Slovenia, Ireland, or Denmark—should accompany Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path toward EU membership.
In practical terms, this would involve:
- Joint expert teams from the mentor state and Bosnia and Herzegovina drafting the legislative frameworks required by the EU.
- These proposals proceeding through Bosnia and Herzegovina’s regular parliamentary procedures.
- If legislation is obstructed or unreasonably delayed, the High Representative intervening to ensure that the European integration process remains on track.
The European Union should authorize the OHR, as a measure of last resort, to call a referendum if one of the ethnic groups systematically boycotts the reform process. However, a referendum should be used only as a last resort when institutional deadlock permanently prevents democratic decision-making.
The Power of Shared Concerns
The key to success lies not in constitutional texts alone, but in focusing on what unites citizens across ethnic and political divides. Polluted rivers and degraded forests affect everyone alike; clean water, healthy ecosystems, and a sustainable environment are shared necessities.
Tourism knows no ethnicity. Communities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina depend on visitors, reliable infrastructure, and the preservation of their natural and cultural heritage. Economic prosperity and environmental protection are interests shared by all, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation.
Cross-ethnic regional cooperation gains support when it delivers tangible improvements to people’s daily lives. By focusing on common environmental and economic challenges, political leaders can strengthen a sense of shared purpose and reduce the influence of those who profit from division and polarization.
The rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina have flowed for thousands of years, indifferent to ethnic and religious boundaries. The country’s future should be guided by the same principle: cooperation based on common interests rather than separation based on inherited differences.
The Diaspora as an Ally
The Bosnian diaspora—estimated at between 1.5 and 2 million people, exceeding the population of either of the country’s entities—is economically successful and politically mobilizable. Its voice should be heard more strongly within European institutions, including the European Parliament, as an additional lever for overcoming domestic political deadlock.
Conclusion
The closure of the OHR should not be an objective in itself. Rather, it should mark the culmination of a profound reform process: transforming the collective Presidency, replacing ethnic vetoes with majority rule, introducing a European mentor state, and, above all, focusing political discourse on the common concerns of citizens.
Only then will Bosnia and Herzegovina be truly ready—not only for membership in the European Union, but also for the responsibilities of a functional and self-confident state.
Siradj Duhan, Vienna
Founder of the Society of Bosnian Academics in Austria and the EU
