LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Important that referendum on const change succeeds (Tanjug)

The President of the Assembly of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, stated that the issue of constitutional change is being used by the opposition for regrouping before the elections, stressing that it would be important for the citizens that the referendum on January 16 succeeds. Dacic said that the decision to change the Constitution has already been made and that it cannot be changed later, and it refers exclusively to the judiciary in the part on the election of judges and prosecutors, who will no longer be elected by the Assembly, but by the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council. He added that there are not many alternatives in comparative law and that judges are elected by either the parliament or independent bodies, sometimes even the government, and sometimes the citizens themselves.

“And politicians and the government should be more involved in the campaign and explain that changing the Constitution is important for all citizens” said Dacic, adding that without these proposed changes, there would be no opening of Cluster 4 in negotiations with the European Union.

Social Democratic Party leader urges opposition to unite ahead of referendum (Nova S)

Social Democratic Party leader Boris Tadic urged the opposition on Dec. 17 to unite and form an “ad hoc coalition” ahead of a referendum on amendments to the part of the Constitution of Serbia that pertains to the judiciary, and say a clear “no” to constitutional change. Tadic said that Serbian citizens deserved to know what the change would bring and explained that the reforms “will expand the influence of government in the domain of the judiciary” Nova S reported.

“No one knows what the referendum is about, because (Serbian President Aleksadar) Vucic used the referendum issue to confuse the voters as to what they are voting for. Judicial reforms are very dangerous, and it is very important to explain to Serbian citizens that in this case they will increase the authorities’ influence and that they involve a degree of corruptive measures as well” Tadic said. The former Serbian president said that if the opposition was unable to unite based on a political platform, it certainly could unite over a joint approach to the referendum, which, according to the Social Democrat leader, “Will be the first step and an opportunity to win the first set ahead of the April election.”

Protest in front of Serbian government headquarters (N1)

Following several weekends of road block protests against the Rio Tinto company’s plans to open a lithium mine in western Serbia, environmental organizations and their supporters gathered in front of the Serbian government headquarters on Saturday. The Ecological Uprising organization and its supporters blocked traffic in front of the central Belgrade government building for an hour, listening to speeches and dispersing instead of heading to the highway through the Serbian capital which they blocked over the past few weekends. Signs carried by protesters called the country’s unions to join them, asked how many zeros it takes to write treason and called the state of speak up among others.

Speakers told the crowd that the protests can’t stop until Rio Tinto abandons its plans, adding that the fact that the Loznica city assembly decided to withdraw spatial plans which included the lithium mine are just the first step and warned that the authorities should not be trusted.

Ecological Uprising leader Aleksandar Jovanovic Cuta gave President Aleksandar Vucic till Orthodox Christmas (early in January) to remove Rio Tinto’s Jadar project from the national spatial plan and to make public all the documents signed by his government and the government before that going back to 2004. Jovanovic warned of a “general mobilization” of the public unless Rio Tinto is expelled. There was no strong uniformed police presence at the protest gathering.

Vulin: Environmental protests are an attempt to destabilize Serbia (TV Pink, Beta)

Serbia’s Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said the ongoing environmental protests are attempts to destabilize the country ahead of the April elections. “They are only looking for a reason to create chaos. We withdrew the police from the protests because the police cannot secure unannounced rallies, and we were not asked for consent” Vulin told TV Pink.

Large-scale environmental protests have been ongoing in Serbia throughout the past month. The original demand for the protest was to withdraw recently adopted laws on expropriation and referendum, which environmental activists argue are paving the way for Rio Tinto’s lithium mine in western Serbia. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, accepted the request to change the Law on Referendum and to withdraw the Law on Expropriation, after which a part of the activists stopped the protests. The rest of the activists are continuing their protests and say they will not give up until Rio Tinto is expelled from Serbia.

Vucic with Rama and Zaev in Tirana within the Open Balkans (RTS)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is staying today and tomorrow in Tirana, where he is participating in the meeting of the regional initiative for cooperation Open Balkans with the Prime Ministers of Albania and Northern Macedonia, Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev. A total of six agreements are expected to be signed, including the Agreement on Conditions for Free Access to the Labor Market in the Western Balkans.

Vucic will have an informal meeting with Rama and Zaev at a joint dinner in Tirana today, and several meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, the Serbian presidency told Tanjug. A meeting of the three officials and members of the delegations with the representatives of the Atlantic Council will be held in the Palace of Brigades in Tirana on December 21, at which the Strategic Plan for the Open Balkans 2022 will be discussed. This will be followed by a ceremony of signing trilateral and bilateral agreements, followed by the Regional Forum on Agriculture and Regional Cooperation, which will be attended by officials, ministers of agriculture and rural development, rectors of agricultural universities and representatives of chambers of commerce. In the end, the three leaders, President Vucic and Prime Ministers Rama and Zaev, will hold a joint press conference.

Previously, as planned, he will sign: The Agreement on Conditions for Free Access to the Labor Market in the Western Balkans, the Agreement on Linking Electronic Identification Schemes of WB Citizens and the Agreement on Cooperation in Veterinary, Phytosanitary and Food and Animal Safety in the WB. It is also planned to sign the Agreement between the Government of Serbia and the Council of Ministers of Albania on Mutual Recognition of Approved Business Entities for Security and Safety (AEOS), as well as the Agreement between the Government of Northern Macedonia and the Council of Ministers of Albania on Mutual Recognition of Approved Business Entities for Security and Safety (AEOS).

An agreement on co-operation between accreditation bodies in the Western Balkans will also be signed. When it comes to establishing a single labor market, the agreement would mean that a work permit issued in any of these three countries would be valid in all members of the initiative, Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania.

In an open letter on Saturday, Vucic, Rama and Zaev invited everyone in the region to join the Open Balkans initiative. They once again called on all neighbors to gather and offer their citizens the benefits offered by this initiative. The three leaders also believe that now the entire EU must unite and fully support the Open Balkans, as well as call on other neighbors to transform the comprehensiveness of the initiative from need to action. “It is time for all nations and peoples in the region to unite for a better common future that offers stability, peace and a higher standard of living for all and that overcomes disagreements from the past” Vucic, Zaev and Rama concluded in an open letter.

At the previous meetings of the Open Balkans, in Skopje in July this year and in November in Belgrade, it was announced that the goal is to abolish the borders for the three countries from January 2023 when it comes to free movement of people, goods, capital and services. from 2022, a single work permit will come into force.

Three documents signed 

At the meeting in Skopje, when the informal name “Little Schengen” was changed to “Open Balkans”, three documents were signed: Agreement on Cooperation in Disaster Protection in the Western Balkans, Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Facilitating the Import, Export and Movement of Goods on the WB and Memorandum of Understanding on Free Access to the WB Labor Market. On October 10, 2019, Vucic, together with Rama and Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev, launched an initiative that was informally called “Little Schengen”.

Bosnia and Herzegovina  

US Special Envoy Escobar: Biggest threats to DPA come from Dodik (N1)

N1 reports that US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar discussed developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) in an interview for CNN and carries the interview. Reporter reminded of Escobar’s recent meeting with Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik.

Asked why it was important for the US and why he had been deployed “with such urgency’’ to the task, Escobar explained the context of the current crisis in B&H. He reminded that two, out of six Former-Yugoslav countries, had joined the European Union (EU), for of them were the NATO members, and “most of them are enjoying a tremendous economic success’’. Escobar went on to say that the six Western Balkans countries were not the EU members, with four “making good progress toward EU membership. In all of this, B&H is a complete outlier. Its corruption is the worst in Europe, with the exception of Belarus and Azerbaijan. It has ten times the youth emigration than Serbia does. It has so much negative foreign direct investment, that its public sector is now 70 per cent of the economy. And this is all being driven by deep-rooted corruption”. He added that people were leaving the country not because they could not live in the multi-ethnic country, but because they could not find employment without corrupt connections. “This is the context in which the current crisis, which is masked as an ethnic crisis is occurring. But you are right. There are some real threats to Dayton, and most of them coming from Milorad Dodik. So, if our efforts in B&H fail, it will put into question all of success that the region is enjoying now” said Escobar.

Reporter reminded of the US getting the coalition together in 1995 to “reverse the Bosnian Serbs’ gains and indeed their mission which was Greater Serbia, which was called ethnic cleansing, which was genocide as determined at the International Criminal Court in The Hague”. Asked what was the reason, after all efforts invested, for B&H to descend into the most corrupt state, Escobar said if he had to point to one “overarching problem, it has been the lack of European perspective. I think it is the promise of European integration that would have forestall some of this”.  He added that would not be the end of problems, but the European perspective needed to be brought back to the region, reminding that all countries that had joined the EU became more prosperous, more democratic and more stable. “This is what we want for the Balkans. This is the cornerstone of our policy. So, we have been working with our European allies to bring that promise back to the Western Balkans” said Escobar.

Asked what can be done, and if the part of his mission to get parties in B&H involved, as well as the EU to revisit its idea of B&H’s accession, Escobar reminded that the US was completely unified with its European partners on the issue. “There is a multi-diplomatic effort. The first, as you mentioned, is going to involve having Milorad Dodik step away from unravelling any more of the central institutions, which is really stabbing at the heart, hitting at the heart of Dayton. The second is to bring Serbs back into the central institutions, and make those central institutions work for all the people in B&H, be they Croat, Bosniak, Serb or other, make those institutions work. From there we would like to focus on electoral reform and limited constitutional reform to make the country better able to reach political consensus’’ said Escobar.

Reporter reminded of new German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saying the sanctions must be imposed immediately. Asked how they could get Dodik to pull back from threatening with withdrawing from the army, joint tax, and joint judiciary, Escobar said: “We are encouraging all our partners, that is the UK, the EU, bilateral partners to start looking at sticks in addition to carrots, that is not just sanctions, but additional financial measures that would compel people to step away from the brink and compel them to respect the Dayton Agreement’’. Reporter reminded of the interview with former B&H Foreign Minister Haris Silajdzic last week, saying that during the was Silajdzic “was the most eloquent moral voice about the West had abandoned Bosnia to these genocidal forces perpetrated by Bosnian Serbs”, when Silajdzic said he felt the current situation was the repeat of the early 1990s. CNN carries a video footage of the interview in which Silajdzic said the international community (IC) had reacted but rather slowly with only few words, and stressed the action was necessary to protect B&H and the region from new war.

Asked if Silajdzic was right, taking into account Dodik saying he did not see B&H surviving, Escobar said: “First of all this is not 1991. There is now a UN Security Council mandate for peacekeeping, and we do have a European Force mission in the region. We have High Representative with a range of tools to be able to stop political actors from taking further deescalating actions. There is commitment from both Croatia and Serbia, both of whom are signatories not to have a war. On top of that, we do not see the capacity, to be honest, any of the institutions to be able to wage war”. Escobar reminded he had learned from talks with young people in the country there was no will to protect Dodik “under these conditions’’. Amanpour reminded of the opposition in the RS speaking out about Dodik’s nationalistic conversation happening “as he faces a very tough election’’ next year, and reminded of her interview with a Srebrenica genocide survivor.

Asked how much fear there was that there could be another full-scale bloodshed, Escobar said with mechanisms in place he did not think there would be another bloodshed. Amanpour noted that, according to international observers, there was no force that could stand up if the sudden incursion occurred in B&H. Escobar said there was, and reiterated there was European Force, “and the peacekeeping mandate also extends to NATO. There is NATO presence in Bosnia. We are a partner in Dayton. We are going to make sure it continues to survive and thrives. We are going to try make it thrive. But there is absolute political will not to allow that to happen again. But I have to go back to my earlier point. The current crisis is a crisis of dysfunction and corruption masked in ethnic language. So, what Milorad Dodik is looking to do is not really independence for Bosnian Serbs. What he is trying to do is he is trying to protect his corruption by eliminating any federal structures that would look into that. He does not want federal regulators, federal courts or the Constitutional Court looking at it, which is why he constantly says that he supports the territorial integrity of B&H. But he does not support a federal structure that could impede on his corruption”. Escobar reminded that at the very beginning Dodik had been pro-Dayton, pro-US, pro-EU, and pro-High Representative. “He was, in fact, one of the leaders that helped SFOR arrest more people suspected of war crimes than anybody else in the region. What is different is now he is deeply corrupt and he is looking for a way to continue that’’ concluded Escobar.

HR Schmidt: Dodik crossed line of inflammatory rhetoric (N1)

High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt told German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung that Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency member and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik had crossed the line of inflammatory rhetoric. Schmidt said that he cannot exclude social turmoil, and that in his opinion, the presence of the NATO and EUFOR in B&H was good. “I have the obligation to ensure civil implementation of the Dayton Agreement, as is stated in Annex 10. My task is to change that by pressure and pointing. If such policy is not changed, the international community (IC) must act before the disintegration of B&H” Schmidt was quoted as saying. N1 reports that Schmidt added he had the Bonn Powers at his disposal that included removal of politicians who violated the DPA. However, he underlined, “we cannot fire the deadliest cannon, as long as there are other means”.

Szijjarto: Hungary will veto proposal for EU to introduce sanctions against Dodik (RTRS)

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Sunday that Hungary will veto a possible proposal to impose sanctions against Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik. He reminded in a post on his Facebook profile that new German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has recently asked for sanctions to be imposed against Dodik, expressing concern over such statements because “the Republika Srpska and B&H are near us”. “Preserving stability and peace in the country is our basic security interest. Berlin is farther, but not so far that you could never fly to Banja Luka from there” Szijjarto wrote on Facebook, urging German officials to talk to Bosnian Serb representatives. “Talk to Serbs. With them, not about them. Maybe this will help you understand the situation” he stressed. Szijjarto added that the EU can impose sanctions only with a unanimous decision of the member states, but it must be clear to everyone that Hungary will not support any sanctions against Dodik. “Talks, not sanctions, are what the EU policy for the Western Balkans should be about in the future” Szijjarto wrote. Szijjarto noted that the EU has once again failed to secure accession dates of EU membership candidates from the Balkans, and negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania have not even started.

B&H Prosecutor’s Office summons number of politicians from RS in relation to ‘attack on constitutional order of B&H’ case (Nova BH)

The Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Prosecutor’s Office has summoned politicians from Republika Srpska (RS) to an interview within the case ‘Attack on constitutional order of B&H. The B&H Prosecutor’s Office formed the case earlier in December related to the decision adopted at the special session of the RS National Assembly (RSNA) on forming the RS agency for medicinal products and medical devices, after which the RSNA adopted a set of conclusions to start the process of return of competencies from the state to the entity level in sectors of judiciary, security and indirect taxation. The interviews will start on Monday at 09:00hrs, and, SPS leader Goran Selak will be interviewed on Monday, DNS leader Nenad Nesic will be interviewed on Tuesday and PDP leader Branislav Zeljkovic will be interviewed on Wednesday, which was confirmed by them. The reporter notes the official information from the B&H Prosecutor’s Office is difficult to obtain, however, based on the most recent developments in B&H, it is clear the case has been opened in relation to the decisions adopted at the recent two special sessions of the RSNA. The reporter comments that it is interesting that leaders of opposition political parties have been summoned to interviews, taking into account the opposition representatives left the RSNA special session at which the said decisions were adopted.

Nesic said: “I can confirm that I will respond to the B&H Prosecutor’s Office’s summons, and that I will be at the B&H Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday at 13:00hrs. As a very transparent person, I will inform the public about everything, after giving a statement in capacity of witness, and in regard to the asked questions. What I know at the moment is that the topic is the attack on the constitutional order. Whether it is related to the latest RSNA special session or not, I really do not know, but I also do not see where the attack on the constitutional order happened, and I do not see it happened at the RSNA’s sessions”.

PDP stated that its leader will go to the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H. PDP’s Igor Crnadak did not want to comment on whether the moves by the RS authorities represent violation of the constitutional order. However, Crnadak said that this is undermining of the RS and its institutions by SNSD which does not know and cannot predict the next two steps. Crnadak pointed out that with this, SNSD is working on the destruction of status of the RS. “We expressed our position on that session. It is primarily an attack on the RS because the RS with its competences is being jeopardized. Our status which we have is being jeopardized and that is practically a status of a state within a state. The people who are doing that, SNSD and their coalition, absolutely do not know where it leads” Crnadak emphasized.

RS officials: RSNA only defended rights of RS (N1)

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has formed a case against several persons on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of attack on the constitutional order. The investigation refers to the special session of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) on transfer of competences from B&H to the RS.

Commenting on the move by the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, Serb member of the B&H Presidency and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said that everything is possible, even for those who advocate the Constitution to be accused of violating the constitutional order. Dodik reiterated that the RS stays on its given course, and adds that nothing will stop them, not even complaints that come from outside. “We are defending the Constitution, I do not know how that could be perceived as an attack on the constitutional order” Dodik said. He adds that B&H is a strange country in which anything can happen, and in which things are not perceived in a normal, but a distorted way. Dodik said “they can do what they want” and “we will continue with our plans”. “They cannot stop us in that” Dodik underlined. Dodik further announced that the RSNA will adopt a law on the establishment of high judicial and prosecutorial council of the RS by the end of December. Dodik said that he is not afraid because he is only defending the Constitution of B&H. “Let them do their thing. That is not important. Let us solve our problems. We remain committed to implementing our plan which we adopted and they cannot stop us” Dodik underlined.

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic, on the other hand, did not say whether she would respond to the summons for questioning at the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, stressing that everyone should do their job. Cvijanovic stressed that what was done in the RS, including in the RSNA, is in accordance with the Constitution, reiterating that there is nothing unconstitutional or anti-Dayton there. “I did not recognize anyone who acted unconstitutionally, who undermined the constitutional order, anyone who jeopardized the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and I believe that it is a great shame that a thesis is being presented across the world that some secessionist activities are being conducted here, because there are no. There is no secession, no separatism. There is no endangering of the territorial integrity and there is no violation of the Constitution” Cvijanovic pointed out. Cvijanovic said that the RS is only defending what Dayton Agreement gave it. “I did not recognize anyone who acted unconstitutionally, who undermined the constitutional order, anyone who jeopardized the Dayton Peace Agreement and I believe that it is a great shame that a thesis is being presented across the world that some secessionist activities are being conducted here, because there are no. There is no secession, no separatism. There is no endangering of the territorial integrity and there is no violation of the Constitution” Cvijanovic underlined.

Cubrilovic meets with current and former speakers of RSNA, BiH HoR and HoP from RS; speakers to send joint warning re situation in BiH to international community (ATV)

Speaker of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA), Nedeljko Cubrilovic, spoke on Friday in Banja Luka with current and former speakers of the RSNA, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Representatives (B&H HoR) and B&H House of Peoples (HoP) from the RS. The decided to issue a joint statement condemning violation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in B&H, and defending democratic values and principles of parliamentarism in B&H. Cubrilovic told reporters that they call for full support to the rule of law, the Constitution, and everything that these democratic processes have brought. Cubrilovic pointed out that a joint statement will be written in a few days and that it will be signed by all participants next Friday, December 24. The joint statement will be sent to all important addresses in the world – from the UN to diplomatic missions. “What is the goal? To warn about the existing relations within B&H and express the desire for talks between parties and joint solutions within the institutions of B&H that will bring closer and reflect our reality with the greatest degree of satisfaction for all citizens of B&H” Cubrilovic underlined.  According to Cubrilovic, decisions of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H and the latest decision of the High Representative were the reason for the meeting.

HJPC fails to present its views on conclusions adopted by RSNA related to judiciary (BHT1)

The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) issued a statement on Friday, saying that they will not discuss the conclusions adopted by the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) on the transfer of competences. The HJPC stated that they act unified, in full capacity and within their competences in order to discuss issues and adopt decisions which are respected in all institutions of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) judiciary. They stated that they will not make any decisions regarding the decisions of the RSNA to transfer competences from the B&H to the RS level. The HJPC previously announced it would deliberate on the conclusions adopted by the RSNA, but this was not done. It was only emphasized that the HJPC B&H is not competent to discuss such matters.

ATV noted that the HJPC did not comment RSNA conclusions and HJPC President, Halil Lagumdzija, abruptly left the session, not wishing to address members of the press. This is the first time since he assumed the post that he did not make a public statement after a session. The HJPC B&H statement reads: “In connection to the initiative, stated during the first day of HJPC B&H session, and which refers to possible deliberation on conclusions of the RS National Assembly – regarding the judiciary, we would like to point out that the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of B&H acts in a unified way, in full capacity, and within its jurisdiction and mandates, it adopts decisions and opinions – which are respected in all judicial institutions, while also defining strategical steps for the next year, and with that in mind, it will not consider this matter”. ATV says that concrete topics of discussion during three-day session were not revealed to the public, but the mentioned unity in the HJPC B&H was not visible, which could be seen during discussions and voting.

Dodik: Law on RS HJPC will be ready in 15 days (BHT1)

Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik stated on Friday that, despite the decision of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) to set a six-month deadline for the drafting of laws for the formation of new RS institutions, the RS Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (RS HJPC) will be ready within the next 15 days. He stated that the B&H HJPC is an artificial institution and it believes that they can give an opinion on the decisions of the RSNA. Dodik said that with the law on the RS HJPC, the RS will return this area into constitutional frameworks.

Commenting the session of the B&H HJPC, Dodik stated: “They have become arrogant to the point that they believe that an artificial body such as the HJPC can derogate or even discuss the decisions of legislative bodies.” Dodik stressed that it is high time for B&H to get back on track and to respect the constitutional order which, according to him, is the primary goal of legislative activities of the RS. Dodik stressed that this is why it comes as a surprise that Western diplomats are threatening sanctions in B&H because of respect for the Constitution. Dodik also said that “Muslims took control over the B&H HJPC’’ and wanted to modify the political system in B&H through the Court of B&H and the B&H Prosecutor’s Office, which was unacceptable.

SDA leader Izetbegovic calls on NATO and EUFOR to increase their presence in B&H (Hayat)

The Main Board of SDA held a session on Friday. Among other things, the SDA Main Board discussed the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Representatives of this political party organized a press conference after the session of the Main Board to present the conclusions. The main focus was set on the political situation in B&H, in the context of Republika Srpska (RS)’ initiative for return of competences from the state level to the level of the RS. The Main Board condemned unconstitutional activity of SNSD and SNSD leader and Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik.

The Main Board assessed that the conclusions, adopted by the RS National Assembly (RSNA) within SNSD’s initiative related to competences, undermines peace and stability in B&H. The Main Board called on the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H to adequately react and prosecute all those who pass unconstitutional decisions, which undermine peace and stability and who violate the Dayton Peace Agreement. According to the Main Board, SDA urges all guarantors and witnesses of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) to react and put an end to Dodik’s political behavior as the consequences could otherwise be devastating. The Main Board concluded that the country needs increased presence of NATO and EUFOR forces, which should contribute to preserving peace and stability, although they do not consider that conflicts will take place. Specifically, the Main Board’s stance is that those who undermine peace and stability will give up under an increased activity of NATO and EUFOR. In addition, the Main Board called on High Representative Christian Schmidt to work in line with his powers and ensure preserving peace. The Main Board urged all pro-Bosnian parties to join forces in confronting SNSD in its activities.

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stated: “I think the RSNA has entered a red zone of what is punishable under the B&H Criminal Code.” Izetbegovic stressed that judiciary should prevent such activities on time, and he confirmed that competent SDA officials will launch the process of preventing what is being done through the RSNA. Izetbegovic as called on the NATO and the EUFOR to increase their presence in B&H, particularly in the Brcko District, in accordance with their mandates. Izetbegovic expressed hope that the RS citizens will stop this policy that leads them into conflict and that they will not be able to endure decisions of one rich politician. Izetbegovic stated that these decisions cannot be endured by RS retirees, who have the lowest pensions in Europe. Asked why he is calling on NATO and EUFOR to increase their presence in B&H, Izetbegovic said that this would further discourage those who may have any intention of engaging in a conflict. Izetbegovic emphasized that B&H has long been under the radar of the international community, but that this is no longer the case.

B&H Presidency member DodikI will not give consent for deployment of anyone’s troops in B&H (O kanal)

Addressing media on Saturday, Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik commented on possible sanctions against him or Republika Srpska (RS), saying that sanctions would be a sign of weakness of the US “which plans to rule the world in that way”. Dodik assessed that the time in which the US governed in that way has passed. Dodik remarked that he would have nothing against the sanctions, but that they should know that he is not a coward. Dodik reacted to the fact that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic called for deploying NATO troops in Brcko due to – as the SDA leader noted – secessionist moves of the RS authorities. In his reaction Dodik announced that, as long as he is in the B&H Presidency, he will not give his consent for deployment of anyone’s – neither NATO’s nor Russian –troops in B&H.

“What is necessary to do before that is to obtain consent of the competent bodies, and the competent body for that is the Presidency. And to my knowledge, I am still in the Presidency and I will never give consent that anyone’s, either NATO’s or the Russian troops come here. Therefore, if he (Izetbegovic) thinks that the destiny and the relation between us, representatives of the constituent peoples, should be regulated by military forces, it is absolutely absurd”. Dodik said that “all problems and mess in B&H were created by the four unappointed foreigners”. Dodik noted that the Serb representatives will return to the B&H institutions once former High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko’s “mess is removed from the legal system” Dodik also stated: “Bakir really put a lot in his head. He manages the Constitutional Court, manages courts, and now the climax is that he manages NATO. So, the best measure, so that this does not mean bickering among us, was said by the Commander of EUFOR, some twenty days ago, who said the security situation is good, and there is no need to expand troops”.

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said this was not the first time Izetbegovic called for foreign military intervention, noting the reaction by NATO and EUFOR was unnecessary, and with his statements, Izetbegovic only drew the international attention. “The situation in B&H is sick. It needs to be treated by adequate means, that means by political methods, discussion, political dialog, and no NATO, no EUFOR, no army, nor armed forces, local or any other are part of resolving this problem, but it is a dialog which Mr. Bakir Izetbegovic and, unfortunately, many in Sarajevo are not ready for’’ said Cvijanovic.

RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic advised Izetbegovic he should accept B&H such as it was, i.e. state with two entities and three constituent peoples, reminding that B&H was constitutional only if it was within the Dayton framework. “He cannot decide on Brcko, or NATO troops’’ said Viskovic and added that “if you thing you can renounce Serbs and Croats, you cannot maintain B&H. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in a big absurd, i.e. in the RS today, we advocate more maintaining of B&H than it is done by Bakir and his group. Therefore, I wish him good luck; nothing will come out of that’’.

SNSD representative at the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Sanja Vulic said calling for NATO and EUFOR in the Brcko District was unacceptable, noting that Serbs in Brcko were already exposed to numerous pressures. Vulic said that a supervisor in the Brcko District “threatened to all Serb representatives, officially elected officials in the Brcko District Government, if the RS Day was to be marked, that is marked January 10, Serbs would be sanctioned. Well, my message to the supervisor is that Serbs have the right to mark the RS Day. Serbs will mark the RS Day in the Brcko District January 10, one way or another. The Supervisor is welcome as a guest, and if he does not like that, he can freely write to anyone and whatever he wants”.

RTRS reports that individuals from the RS opposition condemned Izetbegovic’s warmongering rhetoric, and that PDP leader Branislav Borenovic said it was another attempt of raising tensions, and that by calling for foreign factors to react, Izetbegovic was not resolving, but deepening the crisis in B&H.

Dzaferovic: Dodik’s statement that consent of B&H Presidency is needed for deployment of additional military forces has no basis (BHT1)

Member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic commented on the recent statement of member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik that consent of B&H Presidency is necessary to deploy additional international military troops in B&H. Dzaferovic stressed that this statement is ungrounded because a mandate of international military forces is clearly defined by the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA). He went on to saying that according to Annex 1A of the DPA and NATO-EU agreement ‘Berlin plus’, NATO has mandate to implement military aspects of the DPA. Dzaferovic explained that NATO will decide about a number of its troops that will be at disposal to NATO HQ in B&H, adding that according to the DPA stipulations, this does not require consent of B&H Presidency. Dzaferovic said that the mandate of the international military forces has clearly been defined by the Dayton Peace Agreement and such decisions were made by the international community (IC), so Dodik cannot be a factor which will decide on these things. Dzaferovic called Dodik to stop with his “insane attack” on the constitutional order in B&H, to respect the Dayton Peace Agreement and all the laws that were adopted based on that agreement in the past 26 years. In case that does not happen, there must be an increased presence of NATO and EUFOR in the country, Dzaferovic concluded.

Cvijanovic: Izetbegovic has been biggest disruptive factor for years (RTRS)

Commenting on SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic‘s call to NATO and EUFOR to increase their presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), and especially in Brcko District, Republika Srpska (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic stated on Friday that Izetbegovic has been the biggest disruptive factor for years. Cvijanovic asked Izetbegovic who would wage war in B&H, inviting him to engage in dialogue instead of his war-mongering rhetoric. Cvijanovic underlined that Izetbegovic is trying to attract international attention because he is “incapable and uncommitted to talk honestly with anyone within B&H “. “He talks about the concept of false multi-ethnicity, and we talk about the concept of sincere and true multi-ethnicity. We say that the Constitution is a serious matter in every state and that we should abide by the Constitution, and he says that we should distort it. We say that we need to have internal dialogue and that in multiethnic democracy, you have to have internal talks which within B&H means Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks and of course the rest of our citizens, that there has to be certain dialogue and respect for certain things and regulations. He does everything the opposite. He says that we do not need dialogue, he pretends to be involved in dialogue when international representatives come here, but in essence he is only invoking, both outside and inside, all those factors that need to deal with the RS” Cvijanovic emphasized.

Mehmedovic explains his plans for ending crisis: Constitution of Republic of B&H could be reinstated and RS declared occupied territory (Face TV)

SDA representative in the House of Representatives (HoR) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Semsudin Mehmedovic, commenting on ongoing political crisis in B&H, said that the conclusions adopted by SDA Main Board at its session on Friday are not explicit in terms of what SDA will do to protect the Constitution of B&H in the coming period but SNSD leader Milorad Dodik has already crossed the red line, possibly even few years ago, and he has to be directly, openly and clearly told to stop at once because B&H has state laws as any other state, and the judiciary is legally obliged to prosecute all violations. He stressed that B&H’s biggest problem are crime and corruption because there are individuals within certain political parties who committed enormous crimes and brought B&H to its knees.

He noted that the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H is just getting started with the latest investigation into actions of Dodik and other political leaders from Republika Srpska (RS) because the conclusions adopted by the RS National Assembly (RSNA) in relation to reinstatement of the RS’ competences are “just the tip of the iceberg”. He claims that Dodik’s reaction upon hearing about the investigation and his promise to form the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of the RS reveals his true motive, which is to avoid facing justice and protect his personal wealth. He reminded that in case Dodik does try to form the HJPC of the RS, the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H has legal and constitutional obligation to stop such activities.

Speaking about his recently published plan with nine steps to end the crisis in B&H, Mehmedovic reminded that neither the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) nor the Constitution of B&H as one of its parts were never adopted or verified by the Parliament of B&H and the Parliament only adopted a constitutional law in which it agreed to acknowledge the DPA but under the condition it is fully implemented, meaning that all existing legislations will be rolled back and B&H will return to legal acts that were in effect before this constitutional law was adopted in December of 1995 if all segments of the DPA are not fully implemented. He explained that in case the DPA and the existing Constitution are no longer in effect, aforementioned constitutional law stipulates automatic reinstatement of the Constitution of the Republic of B&H, and in these new circumstances the RS will be recognized as an occupied territory of B&H, its institutions will become illegal and the whole administrative arrangement will become illegal as well, because the DPA was not verified by the Parliament of B&H or entity parliaments. He clarified that the plan he published is more of an idea than a real plan although it includes nine concrete steps that should be taken to effectively end the crisis. After Hadzifejzovic read excerpts of the plan and several steps listed in it, most notably introduction of a crisis management, a conference of all peoples in B&H and signing of a declaration about legal reinstatement of the Republic of B&H, declaring the RS an occupied territory, issuing of international arrest warrants for everyone who instigated occupation, informing all international signatories of the DPA that it has been taken out of effect by the RS and forming a diplomatic team consisting of B&H politicians involved in negotiations over the DPA to represent B&H, Mehmedovic stated that nothing in his plan is against the Constitution. He emphasized that the attacks against the state institutions by those who blocked them in order to protect themselves can no longer be ignored. He underlined that immediate action is required and the RS must not be given one day to implement the RSNA’s conclusions, let alone six months.

He called on all political leaders to unite and form a stable pro- B&H majority capable of protecting B&H’s constitutional arrangement. He stated said that if SDP does not want to be a part of the same parliamentary majority as SDA, SDP should try to form the majority with other parties and he personally will support it because the state is more important than any political party. He argued that the formation of new institutions, including constitutional assembly, adoption of new legislations and the creation of the new constitution are a daunting task but it is not impossible and acknowledgment from the international community will be of paramount importance no matter what the solution may be. He pointed out that all options are possible at the moment and the international community is divided between those who want to entice Dodik to back down with funds and those who are against this idea as they do not want to increase Dodik’s financial power. However, he noted, Dodik seems determined to go down one of two possible paths, namely to either finish what he started or to go to prison. Furthermore, he explained that the High Representative and the Office of High Representative (OHR) as a part of the DPA’s administrative arrangement have an obligation to stabilize political situation in B&H, regardless of who occupies the post of the High Representative. Mehmedovic noted that the situation in B&H is very serious and should be approached accordingly but political parties in B&H have to set aside their differences and unite in protection of B&H’s territorial integrity.

UK House of Lords holds debate on situation in B&H, warning that Dodik and RS officials undermine integrity of B&H (O kanal)

The UK House of Lords held a debate on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) on Friday, warning that Serb member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska (RS) officials undermine the integrity of B&H. Representatives in the House of Lords expressed support to High Representative Christian Schmidt and called for imposing sanctions. Lord Nick Bourne stated that chaos is what currently happens in B&H. Baroness Arminka Helic stated that aggressive nationalism that reminds of the 1990s has been growing for quite some time, warning that this nationalism coupled with corruption is still alive in B&H and is manifested through genocide denial, a decision of secessionists to withdraw the RS from B&H institutions and announcements on formation of new RS army. She added that it is high time for the UK and its EU allies to join the US in introducing sanctions against everyone who undermine Dayton. Helic stated that the UK needs to undertake concrete steps to prevent the threat to B&H, and she warned that Russia sees the Western Balkans as a vulnerable part for NATO and an easy opportunity to humiliate Europe. Helic also warned that crisis in B&H is not political but rather a security crisis. In her opinion, there is a need to deploy military forces to confront the adventurism. She stressed that NATO has an opportunity to send troops to B&H, while sanctions are the second part of activity. Member of the House of Lords Bob Stewart delivered a long speech, where part of it was dedicated to his memory of the war in B&H where he served as a peacemaker. Aside from sharing the horrific war memories, Stewart stressed that it would be unacceptable for the RS to secede, noting that Srebrenica – where genocide happened – would be left in the RS. According to Stewart, secession of the RS would mean an approval of genocide and ethnic cleansing that happened. Stewart repeatedly called for preventing another killing of innocent citizens of B&H. According to him, the situation in B&H today is extremely fragile “and it is now very dangerous”. Stewart noted: “The UK needs to stand on the right side of history. B&H cannot be divided. It needs to remain integral.” He warned that Dodik is making first steps towards secession, leaving a six-month deadline for its completion, and concluded that such a move threatens to create ‘Greater Serbia’ and would then encourage “Croat nationalists” and HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic “who would also want Bosnian Croats to be independent”.

EU’s Varhelyi tells Milorad Dodik in phone conversation there is need for urgent steps to deescalate tensions; MEP Strik criticizes Varhelyi and EU following news on possible financial injection for RS (Hayat)

European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver Varhelyi posted on his Twitter account on Friday that he had a conversation with Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik about the situation in B&H and the European path of B&H. Varhelyi stressed the need for urgent steps to de-escalate tensions, avoid further rhetoric and actions that undermine trust and state institutions, and urgently return to fully functioning state institutions. He also tweeted: “These are key for EU perspective of B&H. Without them, there is risk of losing significant financial assistance.”

The European Parliament (EP) Tineke Strik criticized Varhelyi and the EU following the news on possible financial injection for the Republika Srpska (RS) authorities, warning that if the European Commission (EC) would grant this money to the RS at this stage – it loses all of its credibility on the promotion of the rule of law and democracy in the Western Balkans. “Allegedly, the EC is preparing subsidies and loans worth over EUR 600 million for the RS. A week after the adoption of Dodik’s secessionist proposals in the RSNA, this would be absolutely outrageous. A month ago, Hungarian PM Orban promised Dodik that he would help him with EUR 1 billion for the RS. It now becomes clear that this would be funded from the EU budget. This shows that Varhelyi is not a true European Commissioner” Strik published in a Twit on Friday. She called on European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen to directly intervene and block these allocations.

Croatia 

Croatian President Milanovic cancels his visit to B&H for security reasons; B&H police agencies deny having any information that would indicate that Milanovic’s security would be compromised during visit to B&H (HRT1)

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic canceled his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) for security reasons. Namely, Milanovic was supposed to travel to B&H on Sunday to attend the event marking the 28th anniversary of humanitarian convoy White Road to Nova Bila and Bosna Srebrena. Milanovic’s Office stated om Sunday morning that the visit is being canceled for security reasons. “The decision to cancel the visit is based on a security assessment by the competent institutions of the Republic of Croatia. President Milanovic regrets that he will not take part in the commemoration of this important event for the Croats of the Lasva Valley, and expresses strong support and gratitude to the organizers of the commemoration for preserving the memory of the humanitarian convoy ” reads the statement issued by the office of the Croatian President. The 28th anniversary of the arrival of a humanitarian convoy from Croatia to the Lasva Valley, a besieged Croat enclave, was marked in central Bosnia on Sunday and instead of the Croatian President, the event was attended by Croatian Ambassador to B&H Ivan Sabolic.

Sources close to the Croatian intelligence and security agencies confirmed for Jutarnji List daily that their assessment was backed by the fact that provocative rhetoric prevails in media in B&H. They also warned of the mixed and solely Bosniak districts in the region of Central Bosnia.

Milanovic’s Office confirmed that the Croatian President cancelled the visit by his own decision, after the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) of the Republic of Croatia provided information that said Milanovic would not be properly welcomed in B&H. From B&H, i.e. from the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H, but also from the Central Bosnia Canton (CBC) Ministry of Interior (MoI), it was said that the security situation is satisfactory, and that there was no information on Milanovic’s security being endangered. The Directorate confirmed that they visited all the locations, along with their Croatian colleagues, which Milanovic was set to visit, and there were no indications that the Croatian President would have any issues during his visit to B&H. “During preparation of the visit, we did not have any information that would point to a security threat or endangerment of the Croatian President during visit to B&H. Our services did not have information on the endangered safety of President Zoran Milanovic during his stay in B&H”, Director of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H, Mirsad Vilic said. Vilic claims that they worked with the CBC MoI and with Croatian security agencies over the past period so that Milanovic’s visit is organized in line with highest security standards. Representatives of the CBC MoI confirmed this, adding that the security situation is completely satisfactory.

Plenkovic asks Michel for discussion on B&H to be included on one of next EU summits (AJB)

During Thursday evening’s discussion on foreign policy topics, at the EU summit, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic informed the EU officials about his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), with his assessment on the current situation in that country. Plenkovic asked President of the European Council, Charles Michel, for B&H to be a special topic of discussion during one of next EU summits. Plenkovic emphasizes that he was met with understanding from Michel, when it comes to the importance of this topic for Croatia, and the importance of respecting Croatia’s position in process of adopting the EU’s stance regarding the electoral reform in B&H. “They understand the specific interest of Croatia, as the only EU member state that borders with B&H, where Croats are equal constituent people, and where we have a really clear stance represented, which is very strong” Plenkovic told reporters.

Dnevni list daily reports that the hope for electoral reform in B&H is diminished after EU and US negotiators have up on talks with B&H political leaders. However, notes the daily, while most international officials feel like there is no use in “riding the dead horse”, complete abandonment by the EU and USA would be catastrophic for all B&H citizens. According to the daily, Plenkovic is one of the rare officials fighting to prevent this bleak scenario. He spoke about the problems in B&H at the European Council session on Friday, and said that B&H should be discussed in a dedicated summit in the first half of 2022. Plenkovic also announced that Croatia will continue to raise awareness about the complex situation in B&H during the French EU Presidency. He noted that French president Emanuel Macron reacted positively to his address and announced that the French EU Presidency will focus on South-East Europe as well. The daily concludes that no progress in B&H is possible without the engagement of the international community, which is why the EU and USA need to resume with their mediation efforts, and they need to force B&H political elites to implement thorough reforms immediately.

Plenkovic: I told EC that Croatia will not allow abandonment of equality of constituent peoples in B&H, Croats must be allowed to elect their legitimate representative (Vecernji list)

The daily carried an interview with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic who spoke about the current political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), as well as constitutional and electoral reform. Plenkovic visited B&H earlier this week, and on Friday he spoke about the political crisis in B&H before the European Council. Plenkovic said that he could sense a lot of tensions during his visit to B&H, but he believes that the situation can be relaxed in cooperation with all important stakeholders. Plenkovic emphasized that B&H needs to change its Election Law in order to secure true equality and legitimate representation of all three constituent peoples. “The model in which one people can elect the member of B&H Presidency for another people is unsustainable and unfair because it violates the basic democratic principle of legitimate representation. This fact unnecessarily obstructs the country which cannot move forward without cohesion and synergy of all three peoples, and that does not serve anybody’s interests” said Plenkovic.

He underlined that he told B&H officials that Croatia wants to provide a constructive assistance in the reform process. He also noted that B&H political leaders need to make concrete steps towards electoral reform and offer a positive gesture to Croats, which are the smallest group among the constituent peoples. According to him, in order to be a stable and functional country progressing on the path to the EU, B&H needs to secure legitimate representation of Croats and become a country in which all constituent peoples and other citizens feel comfortable.

Asked to comment the criticism of Croatian President Zoran Milanovic who said that the Croatian Government did not do enough to reiterate the rights of Croats in B&H in the conclusions adopted by the EU General Affairs Council, Plenkovic said that these are false and malicious accusations. He explained that Croatia insisted on the reference to the Dayton Peace Agreement which is based on the principle of status of constituent peoples. He also emphasized that the conclusions call for implementation of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as rulings of B&H Constitutional Court which directly refer to the rights of Croats. Plenkovic underlined that the conclusions represent an important document for B&H. According to him, Milanovic’s suggestion that Croatia should have vetoed the conclusions is detrimental to the interests of Croats in B&H and it weakens their negotiating position.

Plenkovic also said that he talked about B&H at the European Council session on Friday, and that he asked Council President Charles Michel to discuss B&H as a separate item on the agenda of one of the upcoming sessions of the Council. “I clearly told the Council: Croatia will not allow abandonment of principle of equality of three constituent peoples in B&H” said Plenkovic. He also explained that he talked in detail about the context of political developments since the signifying of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and the fact that for the past three election cycles, Bosniaks have been electing Croat representatives. According to Plenkovic, he also reiterated Croatia’s support to B&H as a sovereign state based on three constituent peoples and two entities. Speaking about the current political crisis in B&H and the blockade of state institutions, Plenkovic said that Croatia is against separatism, as well as centralization and unitarism in B&H. According to him, it is necessary to relax political tensions and make the necessary steps towards electoral reform. He emphasized that Croatia will continue to advocate European and NATO integration of B&H, because they are the only guarantee for peace and stability in the country.

Speaking about the appointment of High Representative Christian Schmidt, Plenkovic said that Schmidt is an experienced politician who is very well informed about the situation in B&H and who has good intentions. Asked to comment the last OHR report to the UN Security Council which, according to the reporter, presents Serbs and Croats as the “bad guys”, Plenkovic said that such documents often contain arbitrary assessments and wrong stereotypes and dangerous prejudice. He expressed hope that with time, Schmidt will deepen his knowledge about B&H and contribute to stabilization of the overall situation in B&H. Speaking about the talks on electoral reform in B&H, Plenkovic said that there is still time to reach an agreement, and that EU and US envoys are still willing to mediate. He underlined that Croatia will continue to advocate a political consensus which will bring a fair and just solution and which will guarantee the equality of Croats. He praised the unity displayed by members of the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) and the cooperation with HDZ B&H led by Dragan Covic. Plenkovic said that this unity proves that regardless of political differences, all Croats want to have the right to elect their legitimate representatives.

Balkans mission of Sir Stuart Peach and Baroness Arminka Helic (Slobodna Dalmacija)

Daily reads that as soon as newly appointed UK Special Representative for the Western Balkans Sir Stuard Peach completed his first tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Baroness Arminka Helic, a member of the House of Lords, requested strong sanctions against ‘ruler’ of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik, using the words: “This is not an innocent attempt to have independent RS. This is a dream of having the so-called Greater Serbia. It is not a political, but primary security problem, with strong support coming from Russia”. According to daily, it is becoming clear to wider public why the Serb media, especially the media cherishing the Russian-Serb alliance, are concerned and angry because of appointment of “heavyweight” Sir Stuart Peach. The article argues that Peach is currently, most probably the most competent European in area of security-military and political management, given his impressive career in the military-defense sector in NATO and the UK. According to daily, Serb-Russian political leaders suspect Peach s not coming to the Western Balkans to promote inclusivity or to be taken for a ride by local political leaders. The author underlines that the British are very sensitive about spreading of the Russian influence in Europe, which is why Serbs are interesting to the British foremost as instrument for spreading of the Russian and the Chinese influence. Daily argues it is not Peach’s goal to remove Dodik from the political stage because he is the Serb leader but to remove Dodik “who has become a Russian toy in B&H, thus stopping the Russian influence and again put B&H under (physical) control of NATO troops”. Daily further reads that barely one year after pulling their troops out of Germany, the UK Army is returning back strongly to Germany, sending hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles to former training center in Sennelager, which will be home to thousands of troops of NATO allies in the future. In this context daily reads “logic tells me” B&H could be their first assignment, namely Brcko and Tuzla as predicted as former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Montenegro 

Abazovic: No budget, no government (Vijesti)

The budget is a great test for the parliamentary majority and if not approved, we should look the truth in the eye and say that this parliamentary majority doesn’t exist, said Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Civic Movement URA, Dritan Abazovic.

In an interview for Vijesti he says that everyone would like to have an average income amounting to 1.000 euros and a minimum salary of 800 euros but it’s not realistic to expect it at this moment. The Deputy Prime Minister claims that URA won’t back the initiative of the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, for a motion of no-confidence in the government announced for 3 January.

Following the statement of Abazovic, that the current government is going to fall if the state budget is not approved in parliament, the Democrats reacted strongly, urging Mr Abazovic to admit if he had made an agreement with the DPS, because, as they claimed, “the DPS will also vote against the budget”. In a reaction, the Democrats say they “expect nothing but hoaxes from the former regime, but what Abazovic has been doing is a proof that he’s already started to act as part of that regime. Neither Splendid nor Spuz are going to elect the Government of Montenegro”.

They continue: “He says he’s going to overthrow the government if the DF votes against the budget, but he doesn’t exclude the possibility of collaborating with the DPS, which is not going to back the budget either.” “If you made an agreement with the DPS, just admit that you made a deal with them to “fight” against their own crime. You just admit it, and we promise to show you what the democracy and respect for the citizens will expressed in elections mean”.

Equal chances for the minority government and for new elections (Pobjeda)

Judging by the public messages of some politicians, there are equal chances to go either to the minority government or to the elections, said in an interview with Pobjeda Genci Nimanbegu, president of the New Democratic Force Forca and MP of the Albanian List.

“The experiment called ‘expert’ and in reality, the current and now illegitimate government is also partly a minority government. The current signatories of the memorandum confirm that – that it was a failure that fell apart a long time ago. However, it took some time to either see or admit it” stated Nimanbegu. He says that Montenegro is multi-layered, that there are no two sides, but that there are more nations, religions, and that it is necessary for political actors to withdraw from their current positions a few steps in order to get along.

“According to the public messages of some politicians, there are equal chances to go either to the minority government or to the elections. But it is certainly in everyone’s interest that some new government does it. This government also has members who are announcing a new party, and they were allegedly non-partisan experts. It is clear that in their work, they clearly abused their function for the purpose of political affirmation out of purely personal interests” stated Nimanbegu. Nimanbegu said that among the signatories of the Memorandum on Cooperation of Minority Parties, SNP, URA and Civis, the Croatian Citizens’ Initiative is missing, but, as he said, there are places in that cooperation for other political entities as well.

He says that the idea of ​​the Memorandum is described in the positions it contains. “I hope that the signatories of this document do not have too different expectations from the memorandum of cooperation and I tell them to often read and willingly apply the postulates of this document in their political work.” “Realizing as one common publicly expressed readiness to start applying political dialogue in Montenegro with these common denominators as a basis for initiating greater political, social and economic stability in Montenegro” Nimanbegu said.

Memorandum accepting that Montenegro is a civil state (Press)

Vice President of the Social Democratic Montenegro (SDP) Bojan Zekovic said that he saw the Memorandum on Cooperation between the URA, SNP, CIVIS and minority parties as a positive step forward and acceptance that Montenegro is a civil state. He said that it was an essential abandonment of the policy of the memorandum from the eighties, which some of them served. He emphasized that he sees the current political situation as the last and regrettable attempt of the Government of Montenegro to survive, although no one supports it.

“They are trying to welcome 2022 in office by destroying the political system, harassing citizens who received a budget in June last year, and this year budgeting has turned into a cheap joke with citizens’ problems, and disagreements have grown into an exchange of insults and folder-throwing” Zekovic told portal Press.

North Macedonia 

Vucic about Macedonians: We accept their language and nation, we wish them all the best (Pink TV)

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic announced that the upcoming “Open Balkans” meeting in Tirana will bring very good and important conclusions, as well as many benefits for all citizens. “We believe that we are getting closer to what will greatly facilitate the movement not only of citizens who would like to travel, but also of businessmen and the flow of goods, services and capital. We will connect our peoples who will have much closer relations than in the past” Vucic said. In that context, he reminded that today Serbia is recognized by the Macedonians as a nation and a country that is closest to Macedonia and their citizens and added that this good neighborly relationship must be maintained and upgraded. “We accept their language, their nation. We wish all the best to the Macedonians, Albanians, Serbs and all citizens of Macedonia. We are the only ones who have no problem with them” added Vucic.

Radev: Bulgaria will open the door to Skopje only with guarantees and protection of our national interest (Republika)

Bulgaria will open the door to Macedonia only with guarantees and protection of our national interest. If we manage to make such a decision, it will be a historic act, said Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

Bulgaria has strengthened its veto on Macedonia’s negotiations with the EU. President Rumen Radev from Skopje demands a change in the Constitution, and guarantees from Brussels for fulfillment of the Good Neighbor Agreement in the negotiating framework. Yesterday, after the participation of the European Council, Radev proposed that the Bulgarian Parliament initiate a dialogue with the Macedonian Parliament, and announced that he would convene the National Security Advisory Council to discuss Bulgaria’s attitude towards Macedonia and seek consensus with all political parties in Parliament.

I hope that the government is still working on a full analysis of the reasons why we came to the inability to say “yes” to Macedonia. I propose that the Bulgarian Parliament initiate a dialogue with the Macedonian Parliament so that we can seek the best solutions and open the door as soon as possible, Radev said. He added that he also talked about this with the new Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. Bulgaria will open the door to Macedonia only with guarantees and protection of our national interest. If we manage to make such a decision, it will be a historic act, but let us not forget that this process is entirely in the hands of the candidate country, Radev said.

Petkov: I will go to Macedonia when the new Prime Minister is elected (BTV)

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov, in an interview with BTV on the dispute with Macedonia, said that the first thing to do is to change the rhetoric. We should start talking about all the benefits of good neighborliness, how much more business our companies can do, how to quickly build the Sofia-Skopje railway line, why there is no common cultural calendar, said Petkov and expressed confidence that a new prime minister will be elected. I plan to go to Macedonia when they elect him and we will agree on the work of these groups. I want 5 groups – economy, infrastructure, culture, European integration and history. I want them to meet once a month, not to meet at the same time, to have results from their work, Petkov said.

Of course, there are red lines, he adds. The most important thing is for Macedonians with Bulgarian roots to be protected from discrimination and hate speech. This must be a basic goal for every European citizen. We cannot hide the facts. It is easier, when we see how much we can get from both sides, to think about opportunities for things that are acceptable to both sides. We will not give up serious positions, together we can gain a lot, Petkov added.

Albania 

Protests called against Vucic’s visit (ADN)

Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha has called a protest against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visit to Albania. The protest is expected to take place today around 4 pm in front of the building of Albania’s Prime Minister’s office. “The young Slobodan, Miloshevic’s Gebels, shall be received as he deserves it, with protests” stated Berisha, referring to the fact that current president was Milosevic’s Minister of Information during Serbia’s ethnic cleansing operations in Kosovo in late 1990s.

On his part, Serbian President said ahead of the meeting that it will bring many benefits and that it is necessary for the other countries of the Western Balkans to join Tirana, Belgrade and Skopje. “We believe that with this meeting we will facilitate not only the movement for citizens, but also for businessmen by helping the movement of goods. We will connect our peoples to have a much closer relationship than in the past” Vucic said.

The US supports Tirana and Skopje in the negotiations (Radio Tirana)

US State Department Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar says Washington is working with European allies to open negotiations with Tirana and Skopje.

“The lack of a European perspective has been one of the main factors of instability in the region. I think we need to restore the commitment to membership in the European family of these countries. This makes every state more progressively more democratic and with more stable institutions than before. This attitude is at the core of our diplomacy and we are working with our European allies to make this promise a reality. “Other chapters of negotiations were recently opened with Serbia, in Montenegro we have a greater involvement and there are clear goals for Albania and North Macedonia”. Escobar told CNN that the United States wants to fight corruption in the Western Balkans. Escobar said Europe should continue to consider the stick policy and not just a carrot policy for sanctions against those who undermine peace and stability in the region.