Stier heads EP election mission in BiH: Our monitoring will be impartial and objective

Stier will lead a team of 12 Members of the European Parliament from different member states and political groups represented in the European Parliament. Their task is to monitor and assess the overall electoral process at a time when the functioning of democratic institutions, electoral integrity and the continuation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path are of particular political importance.

Speaking to FENA, Stier said the mission’s key objective is to ensure full objectivity and make a direct contribution to strengthening democracy in the country.

“The mission consists of 12 members from different member states and different political groups represented in the European Parliament, and precisely this plurality strengthens and guarantees the impartiality of our observation mission. My role is to coordinate the work of the observation mission and, of course, after the elections, publicly present our observations,” Stier explained.

The European Parliament’s observation mission will operate as part of broader international observation efforts, while maintaining full autonomy in presenting its own findings. Stier recalled the key role of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which generally leads international election observation in Europe.

During their stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the MEPs will engage in political dialogue with key stakeholders and meet with representatives of electoral bodies, political parties, candidates, institutions, civil society and the media, while directly observing the voting process on Election Day.

Speaking about the mission’s timeframe, Stier confirmed that its activities will cover all stages of the electoral process, from the pre-election campaign through the counting of votes.

“Of course, we will monitor the course of the election campaign, Election Day itself, as well as the counting of votes. The day after the elections, on Monday, we will hold a press conference at which we will present our observations on what we monitored throughout the entire electoral process,” Stier concluded in a statement to FENA.