European Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said that the European Union expects the legislatures and governments at all levels to be formed swiftly following the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that it is up to the “elites” in the country to make the possibility of granting BiH candidate status a reality.
Varhelyi spoke about the recent decision of the European Commission (EC) to recommend EU candidate status for BiH. He explained that the European Council will have the final word on the matter, most likely at a session in December.
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“Last week, the Commission recommended that candidate status be granted to BiH, only understanding that the number of steps are taken. Granting candidate status is an offer. We are doing this for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it also comes with high expectations. It is for the elite to turn this into reality,” Varhelyi said.
“Following elections we expect the legislatures and the governments at the state, entity and cantonal levels to be swiftly set up in order to focus on the EU reforms. It will be for the European Council to take final decisions, possibly in December,” he stressed.
The EU Enlargement Commissioner added that the EC stands ready to “step up its support and be a reliable partner on this road” and that it also continues to monitor and report on the implementation of the 14 key priorities it defined for BiH to work on based on progress on the ground.
