Esteemed friends,

Our time is a time of crisis. We first witnessed the economic crisis, then the migrant and climate crisis, and now the unprecedented health crisis of our generation. The crisis is beginning to be our permanent state.

It is no longer news that we live in a time of tectonic movements. This was clearly confirmed by the withdrawal of allied troops from Afghanistan. The collapse of the institutions there and the  humanitarian crisis which followed have raised a number of questions. The vulnerability of the European Union on the global stage has been shown. The discussion on the strategic autonomy of the European Union is being renewed these days. The need for the EU to be a geopolitical actor, not an object, is loudly emphasized.

If we are talking about the geopolitical ambitions of the EU, then the first and most important test is the Western Balkans.

The mentioned global changes have already made a strong impact on the region. Some local actors hope that the erosion of the current order could open room for great "changes". This is primarily manifested in dangerous territorial claims.

The principle of immutability of borders is a cornerstone of European peace and security. Two years ago, Chancellor Merkel's leadership action prevented the dangerous idea of ​​exchanging territories, which would have opened Pandora's box. The infamous non-paper also showed that territorial aspirations are still alive. It is encouraging that the international community has unanimously condemned the ideas of the non-paper, identifying them as a threat to peace and the International order.

But it is worrying that some local actors, even in Bosnia and Herzegovina, have dared to openly support the non-paper ideas. And they still continue to promote them, using increasingly aggressive secessionist rhetoric. They threaten European peace and defy international law, encouraged by the crisis of the global order. This phenomenon is so dangerous that one must not be silent about it. Because, it is peace which is at stake.

If the European Union wishes to be a geopolitical entity, then it must first address these processes, which threaten peace in its immediate neighborhood. Resolute action in the EU’s own backyard is the key condition for global credibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For decades now, the European perspective has been the strongest framework for strengthening peace and progress of reform in the Western Balkans. Numerous steps have been taken thanks to the hopes and desires of the countries of the region for membership in the European Union. The main reason for the raise of tensions and instability in the region is the crisis of the European perspective.

The reason behind the crisis is the increasingly frequent voice from coming from certain  European Union countries, which dispute the idea of ​​enlargement. A concrete confirmation of that atmosphere is the current blockade of Northern Macedonia and Albania. After the spirit of compromise, which symbolized the Prespa Agreement, was played out, the spirit of exclusivity in the region was strengthened.

Recently, an official from Bosnia and Herzegovina, at a political forum in a European capital, stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina will never get a chance to become a member of the European Union. And then, in line with his nationalist agenda, he lashed out at the liberal values ​​of the European Union.

I don’t mention his name because it doesn’t matter. But what matters is the spirit it symbolizes. By spreading despair over Europe's future, such actors are relieving themselves of any obligation to respect democratic standards. Increasingly, they openly refuse to implement the 14 recommendations of the European Commission for Bosnia and Herzegovina. By shutting down the European perspective, the main engine of positive movement is slowly being shut down. All that remains is hopelessness and distrust, as a fertile ground for the spread of fear and hatred.

Bosnia and Herzegovina supports the Common Regional Market, within the Berlin Process, we support regional economic and other cooperation, but nothing can be a substitute for the perspective for the EU membership.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I do not wish to make things look better than they are: the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is dangerous and worrying. State institutions have not been functioning for several months, as Republika Srpska entity officials refuse to attend sessions. They claim that the reason for that is Inzko's Law, but that is not true.

A law banning the glorification of war criminals and the denial of crimes is a law of civilization. This is European law. European Union directives, as well as judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, clearly state that the denial of crimes and the glorification of criminals is not freedom of speech, but hate speech.

Inzko's law is not directed against any nation. It protects victims from all nations. This law prohibits the denial of genocide and other crimes established by judgments of International and domestic courts. This law prohibits the celebration of war criminals regardless of their ethnicity or any other affiliation.

Inzko's Law is not the reason for the current blockades in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is just an excuse. Republika Srpska politicians also had carried out blockades months before Inzko's law. They have been conducting them for years, finding various reasons and excuses. Yesterday, these were decisions of the Constitutional Court that were not to their liking; today it is Inzko's Law or the election of a new High Representative; there will be something else tomorrow. And the real reason and goal is always the same: to block the functioning of the state, to create the idea that he state is impossible and to demand its disbandment, in accordance with the secessionist agenda, which is not about peace and progress, but some goals from past centuries.

Esteemed Friends,

Any state, whose highest officials would not come to the sessions, would not be able to function. It is not the fault of the state, but of those officials. The only difference between European countries and Bosnia and Herzegovina is that we do not have a domestic mechanism for sanctioning such blockades.

The Dayton system envisages that the High Representative will be an instance that will determine the responsibility of officials who obstruct the work of institutions, and thus the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. The process of making the position of the High Representative passive, which we have been witnessing for a long time, or its removal, which some advocate - would have fatal consequences. This would upset the Dayton balance. Numerous blocking and obstruction mechanisms would remain in the system, and the only unblocking mechanism would be removed.

The Office of the High Representative is not a precedent of any kind, but a necessary occurrence in societies where there have been serious violations of international law. In Germany and Austria, after the Second World War, there was the Allied Control Council, which had significantly greater powers than the OHR, and passed laws even, including those on the basis of which war criminals were prosecuted.

This did not prevent these countries from becoming members of the European Union and the countries that serve as an example today. On the contrary.

That Control Council was abolished after Germany united. This should be a signpost for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once internal cohesion and functionality are achieved, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able and have to function independently.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Building a functioning state is the biggest challenge for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that sense, one of the key initiatives is the one for the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, as one of the 14 priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission.

The Sejdić-Finci Ruling does not seek to increase the sense of representation of the constituent peoples in the Presidency, as some suggest. On the contrary, the European Court has found that constituent peoples already have more rights than others. It can even be said that they are privileged in relation to others. That is why the Court asked Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure equal rights for citizens who are not members of the constituent peoples.

If now, regardless of the Ruling, the condition is to further increase the sense of representation of one constituent people in the Presidency of BiH, then we are not talking about the implementation of the Strasbourg Court Ruling, but about changing the Dayton Agreement and its balance. In that case, it is then necessary to reduce the possibilities of ethnic veto in parliaments. In particular, it is necessary to reduce the House of Peoples of the Federation of BiH to the status of the Council of Peoples in RS.

The biggest frustration is not in the feeling of underrepresentation of the constituent peoples, but in the feeling of helplessness of the majority of citizens before the fact that ethnic clubs in parliament can block the adoption of any law, even those that have nothing to do with national identity or a specific issue. Specifically, in the House of Peoples of the Federation, an ethnic club has been blocking the election of a new government and the appointment of judges in the Constitutional Court for three years.

It is impossible to talk about the frustrations of any constituent people, if we do not solve the stated frustration of all citizens. It is impossible to talk about a compromise solution without taking into account the demands of all actors. It is pointless to demand the fulfillment of the demands of one political party, and to ignore all the others. Compromise is the only solution. Everything else is a dead end.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this occasion, I would like to thank the European People's Party for consistently advocating the policy of EU enlargement.

The Western Balkans needs the European Union, but the European Union also needs the Western Balkans. Any postponement of the enlargement indefinitely or challenging the idea of the ​​enlargement - can only lead to destabilization, stagnation in reforms, and an increase in the influence of other forces in this area. This is certainly not in the interest of either the citizens of the Western Balkans or the citizens of the European Union.

That is why it is very important that we continue as strongly as possible and that we complete the process of full integration of all the countries of the Western Balkans into the European Union as soon as possible. It is for important for a more peaceful and prosperous Western Balkans and for the sake of a more peaceful and prosperous European Union.

Thank you.