In order to tackle widespread nepotism in Bosnia, the Union for a Better Future (SBB) proposes that the Parliament pass the so-called “Macron Law” French President Emmanuel Macron designed while he was finance minister and which bans family members of government employees from getting government jobs.

Violations could cost the perpetrators up to three years in jail.

“People are tired of having the closest cousins be state Prime Minister, entity Interior Minister, State Prosecutor and that the same family can run more than 20 important offices in the legislative, executive and judicial branches,” a Friday SBB press release said.

“Even worse is when (…) a member of the Presidency uses his party to appoint his wife as the director of the largest healthcare institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the statement said, hinting at Bosniak member of the Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, whose wife Sebija is head of the Kosevo hospital in Sarajevo.

“Those are just pieces of a puzzle in which five families each appoint hundreds of their close and extended cousins on positions financed by the state budget and create paralel power centres and which prevents a society from having equal opportunities,” the statement said.

The party said it has asked its justice experts and its lawmaker, Damir Arnaut, to put together a draft law that would mirror the French one and that would be part of the SBB platform at the forthcoming general election on October 7.