High Representative Christian Schmidt told N1 that the period ahead will be very awkward for Milorad Dodik, the President of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity and that he should not underestimate the international community.
When asked to comment on the most recent threats directed towards him, Schmidt said:
“Perhaps I feel wiser, I'm already quite surprised. It is not about who is the winner or the defeated, but about whether Bosnia and Herzegovina has a future as a common state. That is why the Dayton Agreement exists, which is defended and implemented on every square meter of BiH, whether it is in RS, Federation (FBiH) or Brcko District. This means quite clearly, that all those who make comments should clearly know that in the coming period, it will be a very awkward situation for Dodik because he is attacking Dayton. Let's be calm and composed, I will not get involved in every stupid game and childishness. What should I say to Dodik? Maybe he understands ‘Don't underestimate the international community because you will have to answer for your behaviour’,” said Schmidt.
Asked to comment on the meaning of the awkward situation Schmidt said that in the short time that he has been in office he has used the Bonn powers, a set of powers allowing the High Representative to impose and amend laws and sanction politicians in BiH, quite a few times.
I used the Bonn powers quite intensively, but not yet to the extent of [former High Representative Paddy] Ashdown. We are still very far from the rule of law and you will understand that I will not show you all the cards, but all the options are on the table and the one that Dodik once experienced when he took power because his predecessor was removed from power by my predecessor. You have to be calm and composed. This is not a football game, it's about the future of the country, and that's why you have to act very thoughtfully, and I'm doing that. I didn't get the impression that Dodik considered what he was doing and then it's simply not okay to say something stupid and then have a chance to look back on it. I wonder what he really wants; he wants to lock me up, arrest me and then leave it all to the people with tomatoes and eggs? Tomatoes are Dodik's argument? Yes, yes, interesting,” said Schmidt.
He also said that Dodik has a “technical problem”.
“I think it's better to have arguments if you want to achieve something. Dodik has a technical problem, he thinks that the world revolves around him and that everyone has to play the way he plays. Another thing, this is not about the citizens of the RS, Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks and others, this is only about him, how he behaves; how he behaves towards his people; this is not acceptable,” Schmidt told N1.
When pressed to say if he will dismiss Dodik since BiH politicians have been dismissed for much milder things before and told that one gets the impression that nobody can do anything to Dodik, Schmidt said this is not so and that many things can still be done.
“It’s been 28 years since the terrible war in which genocide and crime took place. It should be expected that a later generation would have only one question – ‘Which EU laws haven’t been adopted so that we can knock on that door’. Figures like Dodik used this time quite differently. They played the card of diversity and differences, dividing people,” the High Representative noted.
He also had a piece of advice for Dodik, what he would do if he were in the RS President’s shoes.
“In this country, people can only live together. The expectation of the international community was that it would go automatically and that people would turn to coexistence. Now we see that it doesn’t work that way, but that the mental situation has to be explained to someone. If I were Dodik, I would understand that I have to adapt to the fact that I cannot continue the way I started, and I would see and try to contribute. I’m not a diplomat, I’m a politician. If I performed as Dodik, then I wouldn’t have done my task. I’m not here to do something for myself but for the citizens of this country. Dodik is not the only politician with that big question mark,” said High Representative Christian Schmidt.
Canceled trip to Banja Luka
Speaking about the cancelled visit to Banja Luka, where he was supposed to meet with RS officials, Schmidt said he does not feel like a coward or a weakling for not going, but that he turned out to be wiser than Dodik.
“Barricades were set up to prevent my arrival. Why were some streets closed? The [planned] music festival isn't until Friday. They were either preparing for it for days or they tried to prevent my arrival?! Imagine if there was an attack on me or if I was banned from entering the building, in front of the cameras – if someone prevented me by force. Does anyone except in Banja Luka believe that anyone in Europe would be happy about that, maybe they would be happy in Moscow. You would have a situation that would cause crisis meetings and this country would be further away from Europe. I acted wisely,” said Schmidt.
The High Representative said that he would definitely come to Banja Luka, without specifying when.
“I will fulfill my obligations and many will be surprised by what it will look like. If I were afraid to go to a part of the country that is a candidate for the EU because someone is threatening me, then something would be wrong with me,” he concluded.
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