High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt rejected the accusations leveled against him at the UN Security Council session by the Chairman of the Bosnia Presidency, Zeljko Komsic, who claimed that Schmidt makes decisions under the influence of Zagreb, namely Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Komsic also criticised Schmidt's regular report on the situation in the country, submitted to the UN.

“I make my own decisions. Some are satisfied with them, some are not, but in the long run everyone should accept them. My job is to correct something that doesn't work,” Schmidt told Bosnia's public broadcaster BHT1.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Komsic lashed out at Schmidt among other things because of his intervention in October 2022 to change the provisions of the BiH election law, claiming that it was made in the way to suit Croatia's interests and at detriment of the sovereignty of BiH. He also recalled that PM Plenkovic admitted he lobbied the election legislation changes.

Bosnia Presidency Chairman criticises Schmidt over his decisions and omitted “elements” in his report

Komsic made similar accusations when he spoke at the UN General Assembly in September.

Schmidt, unlike Komsic, was not at the UN Security Council session on Thursday, and now he answered by saying that he acts in accordance with his mandate and tries to fix problems created by local politicians because they are not doing their job.

“The UN Security Council is a place where you should not talk about personal views or positions but present facts only. We had a situation without judges (of the Constitutional Court) and the House of Peoples, and I had to intervene,” Schmidt said, adding that his job is to act and not be a mere observer of problems in the functioning of the state.

In his regular biannual report on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Schmidt warned the UN Security Council of the “unprecedented” level of attacks on the very foundations of the Dayton agreement, pointing at Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik as the direct culprit, namely his policies and actions challenging the survival of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Schmidt warns UN: Unprecedented attacks against Dayton Agreement

When asked if he intends to replace Dodik if he continues with his secessionist policy, Schmidt said on Friday that all cards and options are on the table, but it is a decision he must think about carefully.

On 22 November, Dodik is due to appear before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to face charges of refusal to comply with the High Representative's decisions. If found guilty, he will be sentenced to prison and automatically banned from holding the office of President of Republika Srpska.