The European Parliament held a debate on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on secessionist threats, with Dutch MEP Tineke Strik leading the discussion. Strik, who initiated the session, emphasized the need for the European Union to impose sanctions on Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik due to his unlawful actions.

Christophe Hansen, a member of the European Parliament from Luxembourg, opened the debate by noting that a year had passed since the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, according to him, enthusiasm for the process appears to have faded, and the country has once again entered an institutional and political crisis.

“It seems that enthusiasm has evaporated, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has re-entered an institutional and political crisis,” Hansen said. “To get back on track, we call on all political actors to continue decisive actions toward finalizing reforms in line with EU standards.”

While Hansen praised the adoption of the Law on Personal Data Protection and the Law on Border Control as “a good signal,” he stressed that more progress is needed. He urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt the Law on Courts and the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in compliance with European standards. However, he warned that despite some progress on EU integration, recent actions by Republika Srpska following the first-instance verdict against Dodik represent a serious setback.

“For all the progress on the EU path, the recent actions of the Republika Srpska entity after the first-instance ruling against its president, Milorad Dodik, represent a serious regression,” Hansen stated.

Commenting on the laws recently adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Hansen warned that they “undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional and legal order and the functionality of its institutions.” He pointed out that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina had suspended these laws and called on Republika Srpska’s leadership to comply with the court’s decisions.

Hansen also highlighted that EUFOR had increased its presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the worsening political situation.

“The EU’s response has been firm and unequivocal. We now expect Republika Srpska authorities to respect the Constitutional Court’s ruling, suspend laws that threaten the legal order, and engage in meaningful dialogue to de-escalate tensions,” he said, adding that EU membership is “the best guarantee for stability.”

Czech MEP Ondrej Kolar expressed his alarm that some still believe “Russia is not an enemy” and warned that Europe is engaged in a hybrid war with Moscow, which is also playing out in the Balkans.

“We are in a hybrid war with Russia, and it is clearly happening in the Balkans as well,” Kolar warned.

He also pointed out that Dodik frequently seeks Russia’s backing against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty.

“The president of one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entities frequently seeks Russia’s assistance, asking Moscow to vote against the Dayton Agreement at the UN,” Kolar said.

Drawing parallels with Ukraine, he warned that if action is not taken, Bosnia could face a similar fate.

“We now have to deploy soldiers to Bosnia and Herzegovina to prevent a repeat of what I witnessed in the mid-1990s as a child,” he added.

“If someone does not understand that Russia seeks to weaken us through these actions, then they are either supporting Russia or completely oblivious,” Kolar continued. “I do not want to send soldiers to Bosnia and Herzegovina—I want to send aid for infrastructure development. That is why we must go to Bosnia and see the situation on the ground.”

Slovenian MEP Matjaž Nemec echoed concerns over Dodik’s separatist actions and the broader implications for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability.

“The fact is that Milorad Dodik continues to pursue separatist threats. His actions seriously endanger Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and European future,” Nemec said.

He insisted that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path lies in full EU membership rather than remaining bound by the Dayton Agreement alone.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves the full attention of the international community, particularly the EU, which has invested significant energy into the country,” he stressed.

Nemec also urged Bosnian politicians to demonstrate maturity, arguing that the time has come for responsibility.

“The time has come for political responsibility,” he stated.

Tineke Strik, the initiator of the debate, delivered the most forceful remarks of the evening, warning that Dodik’s latest moves pose a direct threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity and its European future.

“Dodik does not act in the interests of citizens or their well-being,” Strik declared. “He is Putin’s puppet in the Balkans, ready to fulfill any demand from Moscow—even if it means war.”

She went further, calling Dodik a “criminal” whose primary goal is to remain in power and enrich himself through corruption.

“Dodik is a criminal whose goal is to stay in power and enrich himself through corruption,” she stated. “The EU must impose sanctions on Dodik and his accomplices. We need to freeze foreign assets, ban entry, and, if necessary, act without Hungary’s consent to protect the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens.”