If an indictment is confirmed against any minister, that person will no longer perform their duty, including myself, new prime minister of Bosnia's Federation entity Nermin Niksic said in an interview with N1, on Wednesday, the day when he officially took office.

“Prime minister will no longer be prime minister, I'll start from myself,” Niksic said in N1's Pressing show.

He stressed that the new government will be different than the one they succeeded.

“Those are the principles and rules we must obey if we want to prove we are different,” Niksic added.

As for the priorities in work of the new ministers, he noted that the increase of pensions will be one of them.

“At this moment an average pension amounts to some 35 percent of an average salary, ten years ago it was 43 percent. Both examples are catastrophic,” said the PM, repeating that the status of pensioners will be a crucial priority.

As for average salaries, Niksic announced efforts towards passing a law which would increase average salary to a thousand marks (approx 500 euros).

“Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks as first on the list where you don't want to be the first one. We are the first country in the decrease of the number of population in the world,” he said, adding that people are leaving the country in the search of better living conditions.

Speaking about the situation in public enterprises, he said that he was aware of the “panic” in those companies but that there will be no revenge towards anyone.

“We know about the arranged bids, we know how it was arranged, look at the companies that did everything so that the government does not change. There are many things that need to be cleaned up and coped with. There are many things that will be problematic, but there will be no revenge, no expulsion,” he stressed, noting that those who needs to be will be held accountable.

Speaking about his previous term, Niksic said that he was exposed to various proceedings but that no investigation showed any indications against him.

He refused to say whether his predecessor Fadil Novalic was guilty or not but that if he is innocent he should prove it.

The new prime minister also announced initiative to form a special department at the Prosecutor's Office, which will be dealing with corruption.

The partners in the ruling coalition, including the main Croat party HDZ BIH, agree with that, according to Niksic.

N1

Speaking about the relations within the coalition, particularly the HDZ BiH and the main party in Bosnia's Republika Srpska entity – the SNSD, which is a part of the coalition at the state level, Niksic said that HDZ BiH leader Dragan Covic has so far respected all parts of the coalition agreement, while SNSD leader Milorad Dodik is easy to talk with but “changes his rhetoric when cameras are on.”

He described his cooperation with Covic as positive.

“He is a very tough negotiator. Everything we agreed on, he respected all of it,” he emphasised, adding that he has no reason not to trust HDZ BiH leader.

As for Dodik, he said there is a difference in the stance on the position of entities vs the state.

“While we think that we need to strengthen the state and the institution, they believe it is necessary to strengthen the entities. When we talk like this, in a relaxed atmosphere, we reach agreements easily, but it is not like that in practice. That's his rhetoric, when cameras and microphones are on, he goes hard,” explained Niksic, adding that what matters more to him is being able to reach agreements with Dodik easily rather than paying attention to his public statements.

“We extended a hand to do things that everyone will benefit from, all citizens,” he stressed, noting, however, that he is not naïve when it comes to Dodik's secession statements.

According to him, any move against the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina will get a response.

“I won't say what we speak about face to face. (…) If we will have to make concessions at the expense of the state, he is very wrong,” said Niksic.

He also deems that secession of the Serb-majority entity is not possible.

“I don't’ want to underestimate what might happen. There is no dilemma which side I would take, just like in 1992 I would defend this country. But, I don't believe that scenario could happen. I think that is not realistic,” Niksic noted.