Bajrović: Brussels Benefits from SNSD and HDZ Blockades, Using Them as an Excuse to Keep Bosnia Outside the EU

Political analyst Reuf Bajrović has argued that the European Union has for years tolerated the obstructionist policies pursued by SNSD and HDZ BiH, claiming that such a political climate suits Brussels because it provides a convenient justification for Bosnia and Herzegovina's lack of progress toward EU membership.

"Brussels likes both SNSD and HDZ. These blockades work in their favor because they can continue claiming they want Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union while insisting that domestic politicians are the ones preventing it. At the same time, every attempt to impose political consequences on Dodik and Čović is actively obstructed by people within the European Union," Bajrović said.

He also recalled statements made following the formation of the new government in 2023, when representatives of the Trojka coalition argued that Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path would finally be unblocked.

"I remember the promises that we would get a 'new, pro-European Dodik' and that everything would start moving forward. We warned them at the time not to pursue that approach because it would not produce results. Today, we are hearing the very same arguments we presented to them two and three years ago," he said.

Commenting on the statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas that Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress toward the European Union depends on its domestic political leaders, Bajrović argued that the EU is primarily guided by its own strategic interests.

"When the European Union says everything depends on us, it is first and foremost looking after its own interests. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not the cause of the disagreements between Europe and the United States. That broader geopolitical rift has simply spilled over into Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.

According to Bajrović, Europe seeks to project political influence but lacks the hard power necessary to back up its policies.

"Europe is built on rules, but the rule of law is difficult to enforce without power. Without its own hard power, Europe remains dependent on the United States, and the consequences of that dependence are clearly visible in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Bajrović concluded.