Covic: Trump won’t prioritise BiH, key decisions must be made locally

"I am not convinced that he will prioritise this region or BiH. This clearly indicates that we, as Croats and as citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, must make decisions for ourselves and our homeland," Covic said after a meeting of the HNS BiH Presidency.

Donald Trump is being sworn in today as the new US president. Among his first actions, he announced the repeal of a series of executive orders issued by his predecessor Joe Biden in the final days of his term.

Covic, who is also the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) party, said local politicians should avoid using an "alibi approach" and relying on imposed decisions, especially regarding the European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes.

“I'm afraid no one will do this for us. Calculative policies that expect others to make decisions on our behalf, whether it's the High Representative or another administration, must stop. I call on them to turn their focus inward," he added.

He expressed satisfaction with the support of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for BiH's progress towards EU membership, highlighting the crucial role played by the European People's Party (EPP).

When asked about the proposal to appoint a Bosniak judge to the Constitutional Court of the BiH Federation, the country's Bosniak-Croat entity, to replace Kata Senjak, a Croat, who is retiring, Covic said the move is an attempt to dominate the court and marginalise Croats.

"This is an attempt to recast the Constitutional Court of the Federation along civic, or rather, Bosniak-centric lines. This is unacceptable and not in the spirit of partnership in governance," he emphasised.

Covic rejected claims that his party would block infrastructure projects, instead reaffirming its commitment to the realisation of the Southern Gas Interconnection project linking BiH and Croatia. However, he reiterated that the Sarajevo-based BH Gas company, which he, baselessly, described as unfit for the task, could not oversee the project.

Last week, the BiH Federation Parliament adopted the Southern Gas Interconnection Act despite the absence of votes from Croat MPs in support of the project.