Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has said that the submission of the BiH’s applications for membership in the European Union represents some progress and expressed his satisfaction that the honor to submit the application belonged to BiH Presidency chairman Dragan Covic, whom the largest merit over persistence in this path also belongs to.“In respect of the application itself, it actually represents some progress and we have never opposed it, unlike the manipulation attempts on the European path. The public is aware that the conception of so-called functional BiH’s European path was previously dominant, which essentially meant the imposition of new authorities on the BiH level, which led to their overproduction, unacceptable for Srpska,” said Dodik in a statement given to SRNA.
He has recalled that Republika Srpska established forms of coordination mechanism on the European path through the decision of the National Assembly, considering that the Srpska’s constitutional responsibilities for certain issues must be dominantly respected. He has also noted that this coordination is essentially affirming the position that the parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH – should agree on these issues.
“Any favoring of the joint institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a violation of the constitutional order, because these institutions do not have competences over many issues and cannot be involved in the discussion and decision-making process on them. Therefore, Republika Srpska cannot accept this coordination mechanism that was, beside its knowledge, apparently adopted at secret sessions and dinners. Although, there are indications that it was declared by /Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Denis/ Zvizdic himself, that the ministers, especially those from Republika Srpska, let that happen afterwards over the collegial reasons, which shows unacceptable practices when it comes to the representation of the Republika Srpska’s interests,” said Dodik.
He pointed out that it is incomprehensible that someone coming from Republika Srpska favours BiH authorities, knowing that the Constitution says that the agreeing parties in BiH are entities only, not the joint institutions.
Noting that the joint institutions of BiH are not elected but selected, Dodik said that all Republika Srpska representatives in such institutions are exclusively provided for as delegates to represent Republika Srpska.
“In order to represent Republika Srpska, the delegates have to coordinate and respect the Srpska institutions’ positions, which does not cross the minds of the new group of delegates at the state level, thus this is a betrayal of a basic concept and a new practice attempting to impose the competences of the joint institutions of BiH on the entities institutions, which Srpska has been fighting against for years with all its strength, that precisely those of the SDS, the PDP and the NDP have now demystified,” said Dodik.
He said that it was anyhow superfluous to use that way to make preparations for the submission of EU membership application.
Dodik has welcomed the opportunity for BiH to obtain a candidate status, but, as he has mentioned, it will be very hard in this way. He has also added he is skeptical believing it will take a long for BiH to move forward from the candidate status.
“But the candidate status makes many things possible for BiH itself. However, those who shamelessly believe in Europe should have a look at what is going on in Europe. Europe ten years ago is not Europe we have today. There are many ongoing issues that cannot be solved and it will change its internal structure,” said Dodik.
According to him, the current alleged optimism, which those rushing towards Europe show, will be justified when something gets changed in Europe, and we do not even know what is being changed. “Europe is persistently looking for the model of its internal existence, which is very hard,” Dodik said in a statement given to SRNA.
He has said that being optimistic is a prude and a belated theory today when the application is being submitted, while Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi states that “Europe is an orchestra playing at sinking Titanic.”
“This statement should concern everyone, because it says best which is status of Europe today, thus making a specific assessment of what to do next and how to move would be politically and practically wise to do, instead of shamelessly following the path on which you have done nothing over past 20 years, when many did gain benefits and privileges on this particular path. Today, BiH gets nothing from its path towards EU,” concluded Republika Srpska Presidentn Milorad Dodik.
Source: SRNA
