Doslovno izvješće

Utorak, 23. studenog 2021. - Strasbourg

15. Situacija u Bosni i Hercegovini (rasprava)

  Die Präsidentin. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärungen des Rates und der Kommission zur Lage in Bosnien und Herzegowina (2021/2974(RSP)).

  Anže Logar, President-in-Office of the Council. – Madam President, let me begin by underlining the Council’s long-standing and unequivocal commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU perspective as a single, united and sovereign country.

The Member States share the concern about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 15 November. The Council deeply regrets the prolonged political crisis in the country and condemns the blockage of the state institutions. We urge all of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political leaders to renounce provocative and divisive rhetoric and actions, including questioning the territorial integrity of the country.

The recent blockage of state institutions is unacceptable. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are worried about the political situation. They are concerned about the problems that are vital for their lives. The continued political crisis and the persistent lack of dialogue is also taking attention away from much—needed reforms. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political leaders need to overcome the stalemate as a matter of priority and return the focus to joint efforts to move forward on reforms, which will enable the country to advance on its EU path.

I refer here to the 14 key priorities identified in the Commission’s opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for EU membership, and endorsed by the Council in 2019. In particular, we expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure that the next election will be conducted in line with European standards by implementing Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and relevant Venice Commission recommendations, and by ensuring transparency of political-party financing. Taking into account the institutional mechanisms set up by the Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to undertake further constitutional and electoral reforms to ensure quality, and equality and non-discrimination of its citizens.

The Council regrets that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitution remains non-compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights, as per the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdić, Finci and related cases. This needs to be addressed and the Council underlines that a number of Constitutional Court decisions have yet to be fully enforced.

The Council calls for an inclusive process of electoral reform that would eliminate all forms of inequality and discrimination in the electoral process. This should be done through genuine dialogue and in line with European standards. In this regard, the Council underlines that no legislative or political steps should be taken by political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina which would make the implementation of the Sejdić, Finci and related European Court of Human Rights rulings more challenging.

Let me underline that we urge Bosnia and Herzegovina to also work with determination on implementation of the other key priorities, in particular towards strengthening the rule of law and the independence and integrity of the judiciary, as well as fighting corruption and organised crime. As regards the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, we regret the sharp decline in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s alignment, and we urge the country to reverse this negative trend.

Finally, we welcome the recent extension of the mandate of the operation EUFOR Althea, which continues to support the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all citizens.

  Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, the Commission is closely following the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a concern. Commissioner Várhelyi is actually travelling there tomorrow morning for political dialogue to help de-escalate tensions and to explain how to relaunch the country’s European agenda.

Let me reiterate our unequivocal commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU perspective as a single, united and a sovereign country. The recently adopted United Nations Security Council Regulation renewing the executive mandate of Operation EUFOR ALTHEA confirms the EU’s unwavering commitment to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining a safe and secure environment.

The prolonged political crisis has held back progress on reforms in 2021. We are committed to support the country’s leaders, they’re taking steps to de-escalate, resume dialogue and address the substance of issues that are fuelling tensions. All political parties should return to state institutions and make sure they function smoothly. This is essential for Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully benefit from EU programmes and funds, including our economic investment plan, at a delicate moment where the socio-economic recovery after the pandemic is at stake.

The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be concerned about their elected leaders’ lack of action in addressing problems that are vital for their daily life. Rampant corruption, major weaknesses in the judicial system, mass unemployment, poor health services or young people leaving the country to find a better life elsewhere. Political leaders should work together to address these issues rapidly.

We reiterate the EU support for resuming constructive dialogue and for respecting and protecting state institutions. Political leaders should work together to pursue the priorities in fulfilling the 14 key priorities from the Commission opinion in line with the interests of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to progress towards EU membership.

The EU has been, and will continue to be, active in facilitating dialogue via the EU delegation, the EU Special Representative Office, the EU External Action Service mandated by the HR/VP.

We have also worked closely with the US, including in advancing talks for constitutional and electoral reforms, and on discussing the issues behind the current political stalemate. We will continue our efforts to promote dialogue and refocus on reforms that will allow Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance on its path towards EU membership.

The EU will continue to closely follow the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to help parties progress in line with EU principles and values. In the present context, it’s vital to ensure that EU unity and consistent messaging of all parties to Bosnia and Herzegovina from all EU institutions – Commission, Council and Parliament.

We reconfirm our commitment to the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as President von der Leyen said during her visit in September. We hope that all parties will quickly start working together to achieve this objective. It is only by carrying out substantial reforms that Bosnia and Herzegovina will make progress on its path towards EU accession.

  Andrey Kovatchev, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, the European Union has always laid stress on the European perspective of all the Western Balkan countries, including Bosnia—Herzegovina. The stability of all of these countries is of vital importance for the citizens in this region, but also for the European Union. In order to secure peace and stability the three communities have to be represented in a fair way.

This is why changes in the electoral law are in high demand to provide the Croats in Bosnia—Herzegovina with the opportunity to be on an equal footing in terms of representations with the other two communities. However, all three communities have to come together and be ready to compromise in order for a sustainable solution to be found, not only for the reform of the electoral law, but also for all other important topics related to the security and social perspective of the citizens of this country.

The PPE Group has always been on the most supportive front for the Western Balkan states in their part of the European integration. Our commitment and engagement with our partners in the region have remained unchanged. We should give again a strong, united signal in support of Bosnia—Herzegovina and its European future, and by European future must be understood full membership in the European Union. Very destructive are the signals coming from the President of Republika Srpska, Mr Dodik, who announced in October plans to withdraw from many common institutions of Bosnia—Herzegovina. This gave a very wrong signal and could lead again to conflict and ethnic violence.

And at the end, please allow me to inform you about a terrible accident which happened last night on the territory in Bulgaria, leading to the death of 45 citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, which is the worst accident in the history of my country and my condolences go to the families of all the victims in this terrible accident. Prime Minister Zaev and the Foreign Minister in Sofia will investigate together with the Bulgarian authorities this terrible situation.

  Pedro Marques, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, 25 years after the civil war in which over 100 000 people lost their lives, Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the brink of collapse yet again.

The Bosnian Serb leader Dodik is threatening to withdraw Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions. This could mark a return to the violence of the ‘90s, a scenario which we don’t even want to consider. It does not help certainly that some European leaders like Viktor Orbán or Janez Janša are meeting or even paying visits to Dodik in a sign of support for his nationalistic postulate.

They are playing with fire, and this is unacceptable. The European Union cannot remain silent. It must play a much stronger role and use all instruments at its disposal, Commissioner, including pressure and even sanctions to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, unity and peace, and nurturing the Western Balkans’ hope for a peaceful and stable future in Europe. We have long been waiting for that in the Western Balkans.

  Klemen Grošelj, v imenu skupine Renew. – Gospa predsednica! Zakaj je današnja razprava o Bosni pomembna in zakaj moramo v Bosno in še posebej gospodu Dodiku s prijatelji poslati zelo jasno sporočilo. Zato ker dogajanje vpliva ne samo na regijo, ampak zato, ker se to dogaja v naši neposredni soseščini. Blokada institucij in grožnje z odcepitvijo Republike Srpske ne ogrožajo samo miru in stabilnosti v Bosni in v regiji, ampak ogrožajo neposredno Evropsko unijo in naše interese.

Nikakor ne smemo in ne moremo si dovoliti, da se Bosna ponovno znajde v primežu norosti nacionalističnih politik in delitev. Zato nujno potrebujemo odločno in enotno akcijo Evropske unije in naših evroatlantskih prijateljev, da, če je potrebno, tudi s sankcijami zoper vse, ki podpirajo politiko delitev, preprečimo zdrs Bosne in regije v nov krog nacionalistične norosti.

Doseči moramo deblokado institucij Bosne, ki mora začeti delovati in postati forum za nujne reforme, vključno s spremembami volilne zakonodaje in ustavne spremembe, v skladu z odločitvami Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice, Beneške komisije in ustavnega sodišča Bosne in Hercegovine.

Evropska prihodnost Bosne pa ni v rokah evropskih poslancev niti gospoda Dodika s prijatelji, ampak v državljanih Bosne in Hercegovine, ki morajo s svojim izborom na volitvah in aktivnim državljanstvom Bosno postaviti na evropsko pot ter poslati politike, kot je gospod Dodik, na smetišče zgodovine.

  Tineke Strik, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, 26 years ago the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed ending a bloody and deadly war in Bosnia Herzegovina. It installed strong international oversight until the country develops into a fully functional and accountable democracy. And with many others, I regret that we still need this oversight. The country is in a political deadlock caused by corrupt ethno nationalistic politicians.

Dayton and this special supervision brings a huge international responsibility, responsibility to actively engage and protect the peace agreement and the Constitution. And Dayton is under heavy pressure today. Milorad Dodik is playing a dangerous game, directly challenging the territorial integrity, sovereignty and security of Bosnia—Herzegovina. We cannot accept this.

I urge the EU ministers to impose sanctions against Mr Dodik and his enablers. I urge the EU and the whole international community not to compromise on the much-needed democratic reforms and to finally depart from the ethnic division lines. And we all know we will not get there in a deal with politicians interested in the status quo, but only through an inclusive and truly democratic process. Please do this for the Bosnian citizens.

  Thierry Mariani, au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, la situation en Bosnie-Herzégovine est la démonstration flagrante des échecs diplomatiques de l’Union européenne. Politique de voisinage, processus d’adhésion politique pour les Balkans occidentaux: rien, rien de tout cela n’a permis à l’Europe d’être un acteur efficace en Bosnie.

Depuis 30 ans, nous savons que le pays tient sur un compromis dans lequel s’engouffrent toutes les puissances étrangères. Criminalité organisée, routes migratoires des Balkans qui déferlent sur Trieste, trafic d’êtres humains... la liste des dangers à notre porte est longue.

La Turquie, les États-Unis, l’Albanie... Tout le monde cherche à jouer sa partition sur le dos des deux républiques de Bosnie. Pourquoi feraient-ils l’inverse, d’ailleurs? Ils savent que Bruxelles ne dit pas un mot contre les provocations d’Albin Kurti au Kosovo et d’Edi Rama en Albanie.

Tout participe, hélas, en ce moment à une véritable implosion de la Bosnie. Les actions sectaires du représentant américain et les préjugés anti-serbes des déclarations occidentales ont évidemment aggravé les tensions dans le pays. On murmure même que Bruxelles et Washington travailleraient à des sanctions contre le représentant des Serbes de Bosnie. Si, ce que je redoute, cela se confirmait, peut-on encore croire que nous améliorerons la situation et obtiendrons légitimité et efficacité en imitant partout la politique américaine? Qui peut croire une seconde que les sanctions apportent le début d’une solution dans les pays concernés? Personne.

L’Union européenne est un acteur humilié en Bosnie. Seule une politique émancipée des États-Unis et un retour à une relation juste et équilibrée avec la Serbie pourront éviter, ce que j’espère, l’embrasement.

  Ангел Джамбазки, от името на групата ECR. – Г-жо Председател, започвам това изказване с изразяването на своите дълбоки съболезнования към семействата и близките на жертвите от ужасната катастрофа, която се случи тази нощ. Повече от 45 човека загубиха живота си – граждани на Република Северна Македония, част от един наш братски народ, макар и етнически албанци. Изразявам своите дълбоки съболезнования към техните семейства.

Използвам случая, г-жо Председател, да се обърна към Вас формално и да настоя за минута мълчание утре или вдругиден, или когато прецените според Правилника, но мисля, че е редно тази зала, този Парламент да изрази своите съболезнования с минута мълчание пред паметта на тези жертви на ужасна катастрофа.

Казвайки това, искам много ясно да заявя, че трябва да се прави голяма разлика между тези трагични събития и политическия разговор, който предстои между нашето правителство и това на Република Северна Македония. Тези неща не могат да се свързват по никакъв начин, не могат да бъдат използвани по никакъв начин и не трябва да бъдат използвани по никакъв начин.

Връщам се на Босна и Херцеговина, разбира се, казвайки, че Дейтънското споразумение не е перфектно. Това е ясно на всички. Трябва ясно обаче да заявим, че не може да си затваряме очите пред агресията, която цели да разруши крехкия мир в Босна и Херцеговина. Тази агресия, разбира се, идва от Белград и от Кремъл. Ако някой не го е разбрал, да ви го кажа. Тук сте много политически коректни и малко се страхувате от тези неща, иначе в социалните мрежи ги говорите. Но да ви кажа – проблемите там идват от Белград и от Москва, от Кремъл. Додик не играе сам. Тази негова игра е „тако и вако“, казано на неговия език. Тя идва от север. Не е лошо да ги разбирате най-сетне тези неща и да престанете да се правите на политически коректни. Така че, говорейки за Босна, трябва да сме наясно и вие трябва да сте наясно, най-вече вие трябва да сте наясно, че трябва да се изправите и да си кажете ясно – тази Сърбия и тази Москва, която я подкрепя, не е приятел на Европа и на Европейския съюз. Надявам се да го разбирате.

Още веднъж, г-жо Председател, в заключение, моля утре за минута мълчание – или утре, или в другиден – доведете го до знанието на председателя, г-н Сасоли. Трябва да се направи според Правилника минута мълчание за жертвите на катастрофата, граждани на Република Северна Македония. Вечна им памет, бог да ги прости.

  Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signor Commissario, due decenni fa l'ex Segretario generale dell'ONU Kofi Annan pronunciava queste parole: "In Bosnia ed Erzegovina viene condotta una guerra mondiale nascosta, poiché vi sono implicate direttamente o indirettamente tutte le forze mondiali. Qui si spezzano tutte le essenziali contraddizioni del terzo millennio". Eppure, ancora oggi, in molti si illudono di poter imporre in Bosnia una soluzione dall'esterno, tracciando linee di confine immaginarie e arbitrarie. Il banco rischia ora di saltare, riaprendo vecchie e dolorose ferite.

A soffiare sul vento del nazionalismo non è soltanto Dodik, il leader della Republika Srpska, con la sua volontà secessionista, ma anche tanti attori esterni tra cui persino alcuni Stati membri della nostra Unione, sempre più lontani dai valori su cui essa si fonda.

Cari colleghi, è tempo che l'Unione agisca in maniera risoluta, chiara e univoca, dispiegando tutti gli strumenti politici e diplomatici di cui dispone, anche le sanzioni verso Dodik e chi lo fiancheggia, per garantire che qualsiasi accordo futuro tenga in considerazione la volontà dei popoli bosniaci e non i tornaconti geopolitici altrui.

Gli accordi di Dayton devono essere rivisti e superati, ma non rialimentando i pericolosi spettri degli etnonazionalismi. Se continueremo ad apparire distanti e disinteressati, condanneremo la Bosnia ad essere non solo una periferia sconfitta ma, peggio ancora, forse di nuovo anche la polveriera d'Europa.

  Michael Gahler (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Es liegt vieles im Argen in Bosnien-Herzegowina. Die Präsidentschaft hat da einiges angesprochen, aber die größte Herausforderung, der sich das Land, die EU und die internationale Gemeinschaft aktuell gegenübersehen, ist die Bedrohung der territorialen Integrität des Landes, ja, der Versuch, das Dayton-Friedensabkommen zu beerdigen.

Das bedroht den Frieden nicht nur in Bosnien-Herzegowina, sondern in der gesamten Region. Derjenige, der das aktiv betreibt, hat einen Namen: Milorad Dodik. Ich frage mich, warum der Rat nicht in der Lage ist, das deutlich anzusprechen – am 15. November zum Beispiel. Dieser Herr, der zumindest undercover von bestimmten Kreisen in Belgrad und ganz sicher aus Moskau unterstützt wird, muss sich doch bestätigt fühlen, wenn er nicht ausdrücklich angesprochen ist.

Ich frage Rat und Kommission: Wie stimmen Sie sich zum Beispiel mit dem Hohen Beauftragten bei dieser Frage ab? Sind Sie bereit, zum Beispiel die Mission ALTHEA sichtbar aufzustocken? Oder in beiden Entitäten die Verlegung der Truppen, die in Bereitschaft außerhalb Bosniens stehen, mal zu üben?

Dann gibt es eine Ratsentscheidung vom 26. März, die restriktive Maßnahmen und Sanktionen gegen Personen vorsieht, die die territoriale Integrität und die Verfassungsordnung in Bosnien-Herzegowina unterminieren. Sind Sie bereit, Sanktionen gegen Herrn Dodik und Konsorten einzuleiten? Ich glaube, das erfordert eine klare Antwort hier in diesem Parlament.

  Tonino Picula (S&D). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, duboka politička kriza u Bosni i Hercegovini dodatno je zaoštrena sve provokativnijim i otvoreno separatističkim potezima Milorada Dodika. Ovog puta ugrožava, između ostalog, usvajanje proračuna i imenovanja veleposlanika, čak i donacije cjepiva protiv COVID-a. Njegovo direktno kršenje Daytonskog mirovnog ugovora, negiranje genocida, otvaranje zaklade osuđenih ratnih zločinaca i prijetnja odcjepljenjem traže našu jasnu osudu i aktivniju ulogu prema Bosni i Hercegovini općenito.

Aktualna faza destabilizacije Bosne i Hercegovine, uz vanjsku podršku Beograda, Moskve, ali i Budimpešte, može imati ozbiljne posljedice na stabilnost cijele regije. Nažalost, nedostatak vizije i zastoj politike proširenja u Europskoj uniji praćeno je postupnim gubitkom vjerodostojnosti što dodatno jača razne antidemokratske političke projekte na zapadnom Balkanu. Uglavnom, prijeti opasnost od spajanja mnogih kroničnih kriza u izbornoj 2022. godini. Ali, dok tražimo poštovanje i moguću nadogradnju Daytonskog sporazuma, ne smijemo ignorirati neke od njegovih ključnih odredbi. Zato su od iznimne važnosti pregovori o novom izbornom zakonu koji bi trebao konačno ispoštovati odluke Ustavnog suda same Bosne i Hercegovine.

  Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew). – Madam President, there was an emergency agreement necessary to stop war. But today, we see the consequences – a real prospect for a third conflict.

It is time to admit the truth. This is the greatest existential threat of the post—war period in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU should guarantee the territorial integrity of the country, as well as the maintaining of the functionality of the state institutions. It would be a catastrophe for the European Union and the Atlantic community if we do not take actions to stop Serbian separatists from pushing towards succession.

Therefore, I call on Mr Dorić and all parties involved to respect and protect state institutions, resume constructive dialogue, and take steps to advance the progress of the EU integration pact, including on relevant reforms. A lack of response to the current situation would endanger the Dayton Agreement, while instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina would have wider regional implications.

  Romeo Franz (Verts/ALE). – Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin! Die aktuelle Lage in Bosnien-Herzegowina ist dramatisch. Es handelt sich hier nicht um einen ethnischen Konflikt, sondern um ein geopolitisches Sicherheitsproblem. Herr Dodik versucht mit Unterstützung des Präsidenten Vučić und des Präsidenten Putin, das Land und die gesamte Region zu destabilisieren und damit auch die EU zu schwächen. Ein Blutvergießen in Bosnien, das sich zum Flächenbrand auf dem Westbalkan ausdehnt, scheint wieder möglich. Das können wir nicht zulassen – nicht ein zweites Mal.

Die internationale Gemeinschaft und insbesondere die EU muss jetzt entschieden handeln. Sie muss alle Sanktionsmöglichkeiten gegen Dodik und seine Gefolgsleute auffahren und ebenso die EUFOR-Truppen aufstocken, um die Sicherheit und den Frieden im Land zu gewährleisten.

Hören wir endlich auf, mit den Ethnonationalisten zu verhandeln und ihnen Zugeständnisse zu machen! Sie haben das Land in 26 Jahren nicht weitergebracht, sondern nur ihre korrupten Strukturen in ihrer ethnischen Teilung zementiert. Niemand darf den Friedensvertrag von Dayton und damit die Sicherheit, die territoriale Integrität von Bosnien-Herzegowina gefährden.

Es geht um den Frieden in diesem Land und in Europa – im Interesse aller bosnischen Bürgerinnen und Bürger, in unserem ureigenen Interesse.

  Marco Dreosto (ID). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, Bosnia significa un paese difficile e complicato, con una storia fatta di molte sofferenze. Bosnia significa anche Bihać, quel cantone nel nord del paese dove si ammassano migliaia di migranti che vivono in condizioni disumane.

Sapete cos'è The Game? The Game è quel percorso che i trafficanti di esseri umani indicano ai migranti per poter arrivare in Europa, in particolare per arrivare in Friuli Venezia Giulia, la regione che ho l'onore di rappresentare in questo Parlamento.

Possiamo rimanere a guardare, aspettando che, dopo il fronte mediterraneo, dopo i ricatti di Erdoğan e quelli di Lukašenko, la crisi migratoria sulla rotta balcanica ci sorprenda nuovamente?

Io lancio oggi l'allarme davanti a tutti voi. Commissario, rappresentanti del Consiglio, cari colleghi, la situazione rischia di esplodere e un altro fronte migratorio potrebbe destabilizzare l'Europa. Non lasciamo che questo accada!

Difesa dei confini esteri dell'Unione europea, maggiori risorse alle polizie di frontiera, istituzione di centri di raccolta dove si possa controllare chi effettivamente ha il diritto di asilo, ma soprattutto, e l'ha detto anche oggi la Presidente von der Leyen, regole rigide di rimpatrio per tutti quelli che sono sprovvisti dei necessari requisiti.

Non trasformiamo il Friuli Venezia Giulia e il nordest dell'Italia nel campo profughi d'Europa.

  Sunčana Glavak (PPE). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, poštovani povjereniče, kolegice i kolege, posljednjih tjedana svjedočimo zabrinjavajućoj retorici u Bosni i Hercegovini. BIH je rascijepljena između ideja nasilnog unitarizma i separatizma te europski podržanog federalizma. Retorika koju čujemo vraća nas u devedesete godine i pojačava zabrinutost zbog potencijalnog sukoba koji bi mogao destabilizirati cijelu regiju nakon mukotrpnih višegodišnjih, višedesetljetnih napora za normalizacijom stanja. Koncept konstitutivnosti polazna je točka za ravnopravnost tri naroda u Bosni i Hercegovini.

Snažno zagovaramo izmjene izbornog zakona i snažno osuđujem poruke destabilizacije Bosne i Hercegovine od strane Milorada Dodika. Poruka o teritorijalnom integritetu snažna je i večeras, čujem je i od vas, koji možda ne poznajete tako dobro Bosnu i Hercegovinu kao mi koji živimo u njezinom susjedstvu. I zato želim reći, nitko nema pravo uskratiti zemlji koja pripada Europi, čiji građani tamo žive, da živi svoj europski put. Stabilna Bosna i Hercegovina mora biti prioritet Europske unije i zato se snažnije moramo svi zauzeti na čelu s vama povjereniče.

  Dietmar Köster (S&D). – Madam President, Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently in its worst political crisis since the founding of the state. The President of Republika Srpska, Mr Dodik, constantly calls for the independence of the Republika Srpska. He is undermining the central state by his efforts of implementing his own indirect tax system, his own judiciary and even his own army.

Actions of such gravity could trigger a secession, make the dissolution of the country possible, and lead to the destabilisation of the entire Western Balkan region. Therefore, targeted sanctions must be imposed on the responsible political class in Republika Srpska. We strongly reject any genocide denial, war crimes apology and opposition to decisions of international courts. We support the civil society organisations fighting for democracy. We must also support Bosnia and Herzegovina to hold an equal, free and fair election next year and protect the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, which are crucial for the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  Vladimír Bilčík (PPE). – Madam President, it is important that we debate the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but I regret that once again this debate is taking place late at night, away from the political spotlight it needs. The challenges of the Western Balkans deserve to be a central issue in this House and across all European capitals.

Dear colleagues, our discussion here is not merely about the regional problem or a dispute between federal entities. Because of the failures in the 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a European issue, and the stalemate today is a symptom of our own insufficient European engagement in the entire Western Balkan region. The European Union has a political duty to work relentlessly on pulling the countries of Western Balkans towards our values.

The more we succeed in this effort in the region, the better we can convince our partners across Bosnia and Herzegovina to work on their meaningful future, which respects the territorial integrity of their country. We still have a chance to fight for Bosnia and Herzegovina that is politically, economically and socially anchored in the European Union for the sake of all people in the Western Balkans. Let us not waste this opportunity.

  Delara Burkhardt (S&D). – Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Man sagt ja: Wo Rauch ist, ist auch Feuer, und die aktuelle Situation macht sehr, sehr deutlich, dass die ethnische Spaltung in Bosnien-Herzegowina noch lange nicht überwunden ist.

Nein, die Erfahrungswelten – auch von jungen Menschen – sind immer noch sehr getrennt. Sie konsumieren unterschiedliche Medien, sie gehen auf unterschiedliche Schulen. Statt sich darum zu kümmern, eine Gesellschaft aufzubauen, die auf gemeinsamen Werten und Zielen basiert, reißen führende Politiker die Gräben immer tiefer.

Aber wo Rauch ist, muss glücklicherweise auch nicht immer Feuer sein. Als EU sollten wir nicht weiter die Blockaden der ethnisch-nationalistischen Vertreter im Land als Orientierung nehmen. Wir sollten mit den gewählten Parlamentariern sprechen, mit der wachen Zivilgesellschaft, die einen und Perspektiven schaffen wollen, denn die gibt es auch, nicht nur die, die politisches Kalkül aus der Spaltung ziehen wollen.

Wir werden hier im Europäischen Parlament nicht zusehen, wie Dodik den Frieden der letzten 26 Jahre aufs Spiel setzt – aus Angst vor Wahlen und vor schlechten Umfragewerten. Es ist Zeit, dass wir über die wirklichen Probleme des Landes sprechen und zu wahrhaftigen Partnern Bosnien-Herzegowinas werden, in seinem Bemühen, auch Teil der Europäischen Union zu werden.

  Lukas Mandl (PPE). – Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin, Herr Kommissar, Herr Minister, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Was möchten die Bürgerinnen und Bürger am Westbalkan und auch in Bosnien-Herzegowina? Das sollte ja im Vordergrund stehen für uns.

Viele aus diesem Haus, die Gespräche führen und Konferenzen abhalten mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern von Bosnien und Herzegowina, wissen das: Sie wollen die europäische Integration, und das zeigt auch das Balkan-Barometer, Jahr für Jahr für Jahr. Deshalb möchte ich mit den Menschen in Bosnien-Herzegowina teilen, dass es nach 22 Uhr hier im Europäischen Parlament ist und wir uns um den Balkan, den Westbalkan, kümmern, uns Bosnien-Herzegowina am Herzen liegt. Diese Botschaft ist mir wichtig.

Mir ist auch wichtig, allen Phantasten, allen Ideologen, vor allem dem Herrn Dodik auszurichten: Die Bürgerinnen und Bürger wollen die europäische Integration. Sie vertrauen der europäischen Integration. Sie vertrauen nicht der russischen Führung, sie vertrauen nicht der chinesischen Führung, sie vertrauen auch nicht der türkischen Führung – sei anderen am Westbalkan gesagt; sie vertrauen der europäischen Integration. Dazu stehen wir.

Irrationale Konflikte auf der Basis von nationaler Zugehörigkeit, ethnischer Zugehörigkeit, gar auf der Basis von Religion, müssen der Geschichte angehören, sind nicht europäisch und werden dem Westbalkan nicht dienen, werden Bosnien-Herzegowina nicht dienen, haben Europa auf den guten Weg geführt – und das wird auch mit dem Westbalkan gelingen.

  Tanja Fajon (S&D). – Gospa predsednica, spoštovani plenum, komisar, minister! V Bosni in Hercegovini vre. Po koncu vojne leta 1995 je to ena najhujših ali najhujša politična kriza. S kolegi v Evropskem parlamentu že zelo dolgo opozarjamo na naraščanje napetosti v državi.

Država mora reformirati ustavno in volilno zakonodajo, posebej v luči prihajajočih volitev prihodnje leto. Te morajo biti poštene in svobodne, vsi, ne glede na etično ozadje, morajo imeti enake pravice. Kakršne koli enostranske akcije, ki ogrožajo ozemeljsko suverenost, celovitost države se morajo nemudoma končati. Prav tako retorika odgovornih politikov, Milorada Dodika, ki delijo državo.

Unija je največja donatorica pomoči državi, vendar evropski davkoplačevalci ne bodo večno podpirali politik, ki aktivno uničujejo ozemeljsko celovitost. Unija mora uporabiti vse instrumente, ki jih ima na voljo, vključno s sankcijami, da ohrani ozemeljsko celovitost države, enotnost in mir. In le s hitrim in konkretnim ukrepanjem bomo obnovili verodostojnost, zaupanje in ustavili množično odhajanje mlade generacije iz države.

  Karlo Ressler (PPE). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, poštovani povjereniče, kolegice i kolege, krajnje je vrijeme da cijela Europa osvijesti koliko su zabrinjavajući, dramatični i opasni institucionalna kriza i nestabilnost u Bosni i Hercegovini. Državne institucije su paralizirane, društvo podijeljeno, a izborni inženjering omogućio je da svi narodi ne budu legitimno zastupljeni. Glavni generatori nestabilnosti su jasni i međusobno se hrane. Separatizam s jedne strane i unitarizam s druge strane. Radikalni centrifugalni i centripetalni pristupi razaraju temelje Daytona, krhkog mira i suživota.

Rješenje mora krenuti od punog uvažavanja ravnopravnosti konstitutivnih naroda. Bez izborne reforme na takvim temeljima neće biti funkcionalne i europske Bosne i Hercegovine. Kolegice i kolege, pola milijuna europskih građana živi u Bosni i Hercegovini. Imamo političku, ali imamo i ljudsku odgovornost osigurati da se njihova prava prestanu bestidno kršiti.

  Tomislav Sokol (PPE). – Poštovana potpredsjednice, povjereniče, ministre, kolegice i kolege, Bosna i Hercegovina je u političkoj krizi. Međutim, Dodikove aktivnosti, mada problematične, nisu glavni problem ove zemlje. Pravi problem je božanska težnja za političkom hegemonijom pod krinkom građanske BiH-a, posebno nad Hrvatima kao najmalobrojnijim konstitutivnim narodom. Ovo je vidljivo iz nepoštovanja odluke Ustavnog suda u slučaju Ljubić čime se krši vladavina prava koja predstavlja jednu od temeljnih europskih vrijednosti te inzistira i dalje na preglasavanju Hrvata.

Hrvatima u BiH uskraćeno je političko pravo koje nije uskraćeno niti jednom drugom narodu u Europi - pravo da sami biraju svoje političke predstavnike. Ovo je problem koji se može riješiti isključivo hitnom izmjenom izbornog zakona kako bi se majorizacija Hrvata trajno zaustavila. Hrvati u BiH, koji su u ogromnom postotku građani Europske unije, sustavno su diskriminirani i sve što žele je politička ravnopravnost. Ništa manje niti više. Oni su jedini od tri konstitutivna naroda iskreno okrenuti prema zapadu te zagovaraju europski put BiH.

Kolegice i kolege, pitanje zaštite Hrvata u Bosni i Hercegovini pitanje je očuvanja temeljnih europskih vrijednosti na koje se ovdje tako često poziva. Nemojmo da nas sitni interesi spriječe u tome.

  Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, first of all, thank you for today’s debate and a clear message. In the present context it is key to ensure unity and consistent messages to all the parties. As President von der Leyen stated during her recent visit, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a clear goal of EU accession. We hope that political leaders will rapidly start to work together to meet all 14 key priorities in the commission opinion in the interests of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is only through dialogue that progress can be made, so it is of utmost importance to return to institutions. This is a message that Commissioner Várhelyi will give political leaders during his visit. The good functioning of state institutions is key for Bosnia and Herzegovina to draw maximum benefits from EU funds and programmes, including our Economic Investment Plan. We will continue all efforts to help facilitate dialogue and to refocus on the reforms to help the country on its path towards EU accession in line with expectations of its people.

And once again, we reiterate our unequivocal commitment for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession as a single, united and sovereign country on its way towards EU integration.

  Anže Logar, predsedujoči Svetu. – Spoštovana predsedujoča, spoštovani komisar, poslanke in poslanci! Znova bi rad poudaril našo veliko in skupno zaskrbljenost zaradi političnih razmer v Bosni in Hercegovini.

Od politikov v Bosni in Hercegovini pričakujemo, da se bodo v prihodnje vzdržali besed in dejanj, ki prispevajo zgolj k podžiganju politične krize. Pozivamo jih, naj se namesto tega z odločnimi in konkretnimi ukrepi zavežejo spodbujanju sprave in reform v državi. Revizionizem, zlasti minimiziranje ali celo zanikanje genocida, in poveličevanje vojnih zločincev sta v temeljnem nasprotju z vrednotami Evropske unije in nista združljiva s članstvom v Evropski uniji.

Želim znova poudariti našo trdno in dolgotrajno zavezanost evropski perspektivi Bosne in Hercegovine kot enotne, združene in suverene države. Spoštovane poslanke in poslanci, nekateri ste opominjali na pomen razprave o Zahodnem Balkanu z Evropsko unijo. Prav zaradi pomena stabilnosti te regije za celotno Evropsko unijo se je slovensko predsedstvo odločilo, da bo to ena od prioritet našega predsedovanja. 6. oktobra smo zato organizirali vrh EU–Zahodni Balkan, kjer je bila sprejeta tudi skupna deklaracija EU in držav Zahodnega Balkana, ki so jo podpisale vse članice Evropske unije in vse države Zahodnega Balkana.

Deklaracija potrjuje jasno sporočilo regiji glede evropske perspektive in zavezanosti procesu širitve ter pričakovanja k nadaljnjemu spoštovanju evropskih vrednot in izvajanju reform v državah Zahodnega Balkana. Poudarja potrebo po dobrih sosedskih odnosih in regionalnem sodelovanju. Deklaracija se nadalje osredotoča na socio-ekonomsko okrevanje regije. Izjemnega pomena je implementacija gospodarskega in investicijskega načrta za Zahodni Balkan, ki bo v naslednjih sedmih letih mobiliziral okoli 30 milijard evrov za regijo. Vključen je tudi napredek pri vzpostavljanju skupnega regionalnega trga in implementaciji zelene agende z namenom usklajenosti regije z infrastrukturnimi, energetskimi in prometnimi koridorji Evropske unije. Deklaracija poudarja tudi pozitivno perspektivo za mlade in zavezo nadaljnjemu sodelovanju glede pandemije. Sodelovanje med Evropsko unijo in Zahodnim Balkanom se mora odražati tudi v vsestranski uskladitvi med zunanjepolitičnimi stališči Evropske unije, zato pričakujemo nadaljnje poglabljanje sodelovanja pri skupni zunanji in varnostni politiki. In tu Bosno in Hercegovino čaka še veliko dela.

In ker je kontinuiteta ključna, smo zadovoljni, da je bilo uvrščanje regije visoko na dnevni red EU dogovorjeno v obliki rednih vrhov EU–Zahodni Balkan. Naslednji načrtovani je leta 2022 med češkim predsedstvom.

  Die Präsidentin. – Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.