{"id":354567,"date":"2024-04-18T14:48:22","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T12:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2024\/04\/18\/republika-srpska-bosnia-leggi-anti-ue\/"},"modified":"2024-04-22T19:30:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T17:30:23","slug":"republika-srpska-bosnias-eu-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2024\/04\/18\/republika-srpska-bosnias-eu-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Republika Srpska wants to adopt several laws that risk undermining Bosnia’s path to the EU"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels – The threat has never been more real\u00a0simply because the path of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the European Union has never been more concrete. “TThe Republika Srpska National Assembly is discussing the adoption of legislative initiatives that would undermine the constitutional order of the country, the functionality of its institutions and fundamental freedoms<\/strong>,” and not least, “go against Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s commitments on its EU path.” This is the warning of European External Action Service (EEAS) spokesman Peter Stano<\/strong>, commenting on the ongoing debate today (April 18) in the parliament of the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina on five particularly controversial draft laws<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\"Republika<\/a>
Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik (credits: Elvis Barukcic \/ Afp)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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In a very harsh statement<\/a>, Stano was crystal clear that “any action against” Bosnia and Herzegovina’s principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order “will lead to serious consequences<\/strong>” from Brussels as a reaction to draft legislation that goes in a direction contrary to the European Council’s decision last March 21 to start EU accession negotiations<\/a> with Sarajevo. “The EU expects Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Republika Srpska entity, to make steps forward instead of taking actions that are at odds with its European path<\/strong>” because “dialogue, instead of\u00a0escalation delivers results.” The EEAS spokesman then appealed “to all leaders” in the Balkan country to “return to the negotiating table for the benefit\u00a0of the\u00a0people living in the country\u00a0and its future in the EU.”<\/p>\n

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\"Milorad<\/a>
From left:\u00a0Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Serbian President\u00a0 Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 (credits: Andrej Isakovic \/ Afp)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

As analysts\u00a0highlight<\/a>, the Banja Luka Assembly included on today’s agenda the discussion of several particularly controversial bills<\/strong>, following the adoption of the one on\u00a0foreign agents and the reintroduction of criminal sanctions for defamation last year. First and foremost is the Election Law<\/strong><\/span>, which expands the power of the Election Commission of Republika Srpska to manage elections at the local and entity level, in opposition to both the state election law and the recently adopted changes<\/a> from the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt<\/strong>. Regarding the referendum law<\/strong>, this is the framework for pursuing unconstitutional claims according to the Constitutional Court in Sarajevo (such as the Republika Srpska Day). The law<\/strong> on immunity<\/b> provides for non-persecutability in civil and criminal proceedings for the President of the entity, the two vice presidents, members of the government, and all deputies. Instead, amendments to the\u00a0<\/strong>labor law<\/b> would allow people sanctioned by the United States (who do not have access to bank accounts) to be paid regularly in cash. Finally, Banja Luka wants to appoint a delegation to participate in the Great Easter Assembly of Republika Srpska and <\/b>Serbia, which is scheduled\u00a0between May 5 and 6 – during the Orthodox Easter – to tighten the bond between the Bosnian Serb President, Milorad Dodik<\/strong>, and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107,<\/strong> and the pan-Serb rhetoric.<\/p>\n