Christian Schmidt breaks silence on decision to step down as High Representative

"It is not exactly like I woke up one morning and thought that I could finish the job here," Schmidt says in an interview for Deutsche Welle.

Bosnian and German media have been reporting for months, citing unnamed sources, that the end of Schmidt's mandate in BiH is approaching.

Schmidt did not want to answer the question about possible pressures on him, but he stated that under the "existing political circumstances, he is no longer running."

"We all feel that the political situation in the world has changed greatly, it has become very unstable," Schmidt said, noting that Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Turks, and Brits sit with him on the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council in BiH. "I need the support of everyone," Schmidt said.

Schmidt stated that a change in the political approach to BiH is already partly on the scene, and confirmed that there is no consensus in the international community about it.

"Do we want to continue with Dayton or follow other approaches? What is the role of the international community? There are different opinions about that. I must be able to rely on having a consensus within the international community. I want to preserve that consensus, as paradoxical as it may sound. I believe that it can be preserved only if I take a step that I absolutely did not want: to withdraw myself from the negotiations, so to speak, and open the way for others," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said that the work in BiH, however, is not finished and that it must be continued. According to him, the international community and Bosnian citizens we are facing a crucial question, which is whether there is enough political will in the country for European integration or if destructive forces that want to destroy the country and its future are stronger.

"Everyone must understand that if things fall apart in the Balkans, that is not a reassuring sign," Schmidt said, sending a message that because of this, he counts on the international community, and that Europeans and Americans say at the crucial moment: "No, now we act together and for Europe."

In the context of destructive forces, Schmidt mentioned the leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Milorad Dodik, noting that all sanctions against him have been lifted.

"He hired a lobbying firm to fight for three things: to enable secession, meaning the independence of Republika Srpska, to overturn the court rulings against him, and for me to leave. He invested a lot of money into that," Christian Schmidt told DW.

Schmidt, who stated that he wanted to be the last High Representative, refused to speak about his possible successor in this position, but delivered the following message: "I can only say that anyone who comes here must know that this is a balancing act between a mission impossible and small steps forward."