High Representative Christian Schmidt, speaking to Face TV about the curriculum in Republika Srpska, stated that he would do everything to improve the overall education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He then mentioned convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic and the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, in the same sentence and context.

“I am truly convinced about those images of Mladic and Kovacevic. Excuse me, Mladic who is also mentioned in the same way as… Not Kovacevic… We cannot have such a difference… If we see Mladic and Alija Izetbegovic, it is unacceptable. Why put up such images? Let’s give these children the opportunity to learn and make their own decisions. I think we should have a conference, work with academics on what history is and what we can offer to new generations,” Schmidt said.

The Bosnian public has been shocked and disappointed by the High Representative's statement, prompting N1 to send an inquiry to the Office of the High Representative (OHR) for clarification as to why he mentioned a convicted war criminal and the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the same context.

Writer and columnist Dragan Bursac called Schmidt's comments bizarre. “Alija Izetbegovic was the first and only President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1996, while Ratko Mladic was — and remains — a war criminal. Now let everyone who visited Izetbegovic's grave reflect on whether it is really the same. If it is, they might as well visit Ratko behind bars,” Bursac stated.

Sebija Izetbegovic, daughter-in-law of the late Alija Izetbegovic and current representative in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, also reacted by posting a photo of the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, captioned: “ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC, his image and his name, with pride.”

The Minister of Labor and Social Policy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adnan Delic, questioned whether Schmidt would equate Hitler with Adenauer in the same way as he equated Alija Izetbegovic and Ratko Mladic.

“Germany, from which Christian Schmidt comes, is known for not leaving room for relativizing historical events. Would they allow criminals like Adolf Hitler to be equated with statesmen like Otto von Bismarck, Konrad Adenauer, or Willy Brandt, who built and rebuilt society? No, because facts are indisputable. We may agree or disagree with them, but we cannot deny them,” Delic said.

The SDA party also condemned Schmidt's statement, calling it “scandalous” and demanding an explanation. They emphasized that it is unacceptable to mention Ratko Mladic and Alija Izetbegovic in the same context. According to the SDA, Mladic is a convicted war criminal responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity, while Izetbegovic was a leader who upheld democratic values even in the toughest of times. The SDA stated, “Justice and truth are essential prerequisites for establishing lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.”