High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt gave an interview to the Voice of America about the current political situation in Bosnia. Schmidt highlighted that this was his sixth regular report to the UN Security Council, with each previous report noting an increase in political attacks on the Dayton Peace Agreement. In his latest report, he described these attacks as "unprecedented."

Schmidt believes that these attacks reflect a situation where there is still no political reconciliation among the citizens or, more accurately, among parts of the political class in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Unfortunately, political groups adopt ethno-nationalistic approaches. There is a lack of reconciliation and genuine cooperation. In this political structure, some people see compromise as a sign of weakness”, he said.

Despite the challenges, Schmidt's efforts to achieve functional state and entity administrations have shown some positive results, particularly in the Federation where the government appears more willing to compromise than previous administrations.

“They are working and making compromises, but the overall structure, especially between Republika Srpska and other parts, is very challenging. Why? Because some people, including the President of Republika Srpska, are toying with the idea of secession”, he said and added:

“This is against Dayton. I wouldn't say there is a grand strategy behind it. It seems partly a matter of tactics. They are under pressure from the U.S. government's decision to use sanctions. For example, some important figures in Republika Srpska do not have bank accounts because no bank will give them one.”

Schmidt also addressed his recent meeting with Aleksandar Vucic, a political ally of Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) released a statement describing the meeting as a “good and open discussion” and praised Vucic's “steadfast support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“I must say that Serbia, as a signatory and the legal successor of Yugoslavia, does indeed respect the basic structures of Dayton, including the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There have been some attempts by Dodik to draw Vucic onto his path. I see that, for now, he has not followed that path”, he said,

Schmidt expressed significant concerns about Republika Srpska, noting that Dodik does not respect the Dayton Agreement and is attempting to create a parallel legal structure in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would facilitate easy secession. This situation threatens not only Dayton but also the functionality and integrity of the entire region.

Schmidt observed that the European Union typically promotes its arguments with incentives rather than punitive measures.

“The European Union is used to promoting its arguments with ‘carrots’ rather than ‘sticks’. My position gives me many ‘sticks’ but few ‘carrots’. I see that using the ‘stick’ gets results, including putting pressure on Mr. Dodik. This is a way to handle such behavior and stabilize it. I mentioned this at the Security Council session, the international community must be prepared that if we see attempts at dissolution, we should not just observe but act”, he emphasized.