Mick Wallace: NATO, Russia Debate Fuels Bosnia Divisions

Mick Wallace criticised a report on Bosnia and Herzegovina for failing to address structural problems rooted in the Dayton Peace Agreement and the role of the high representative. He warned that the report's calls to condemn Russia, impose sanctions and advance NATO membership risk deepening ethnic and political divisions.

Main criticism of the report

The speaker said the report has very little in it to address Bosnia and Herzegovina's structural issues, and that it instead defends the Dayton Agreement while pouring fuel on already tense relations with neighbouring states. He described the output as controversial.

Dayton Agreement and the high representative

Wallace argued Bosnia and Herzegovina is severely hampered by deep structural issues stemming from the fundamental principles of the Dayton Peace Agreement and by the neo-colonial institution of the high representative. He said the high representative can dismiss the complete lack of positive economic and social development in the country.

NATO, Russia and sanctions

He warned the issue of NATO and Russia is extremely divisive and criticised the report for calling on political actors to condemn Russia, impose sanctions and advance NATO membership. Wallace said the harder the EU pushes on that line, the more pronounced the disputes between the ethno-national confederations in Bosnia and Herzegovina will become.

Emigration and socio-economic concerns

The speaker highlighted dramatically high levels of emigration from both sub-entities and the absence of positive economic and social development as consequences of the structural problems the report fails to address. He suggested these trends are being overlooked by current policy recommendations.