MEPs condemn Zeljana Zovko’s remarks on Bosnia and Herzegovina

During a session of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Zovko described Schmidt as "unelected" and accused BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic of pressuring the High Representative to appoint personnel in the entity government. She also questioned the EU’s funding priorities: “Who are we financing – the OHR or local institutions?”

Slovenian MEP Matjaz Nemec called the comments "unacceptable and dangerous," warning against attempts by neighbouring politicians to insert national agendas into the EU enlargement policy.

“Only the citizens of BiH can decide on its political system. Federalisation talk and delegitimising the OHR have no place in EU discourse,” Nemec said. As a rapporteur for the Social Democrats, he confirmed efforts to ensure that the EP’s report protects Bosnia’s integrity and European values.

Irena Joveva, another Slovenian MEP, went further, comparing Zovko’s rhetoric to that of Milorad Dodik, who openly threatens secession and strengthens ties with Russia. “When someone from the EU adopts such narratives, it’s alarming,” she stated.

Joveva rejected the shifting of blame onto OHR and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, insisting that this is not the official EU stance. She reminded that Croatia, as a Dayton Agreement signatory, has a responsibility to promote stability in BiH, not fuel division.

“Messages like Zovko’s only deepen the crisis and push BiH further from the EU. Ethnonationalism and destabilisation will never have European legitimacy,” Joveva concluded.

This is not the first time Zovko has made controversial remarks about BiH, raising concerns about her influence on the EU’s approach to the region.