Written by: Amina Čorbo-Zećo
“It is a fact that the atmosphere of negotiation and discussion has returned, that we are maintaining some kind of rhythm, which I find very important, even when we don’t reach agreements on all the things we think can and should be agreed upon,” said Nermin Nikšić, president of the SDP, today.
Although this statement sounds more like a description of a folk dance like Žikino kolo rather than a coalition meeting at the state level of a country aspiring to join the European Union, we understand Nikšić’s need for rhythm. After all, they weren’t cold in Mostar; they had heating, so they swapped complaints about the cold for talk of a pleasant atmosphere.
And just like in Žikino kolo—”She has a large field, and his estate is small”—so too does the coalition of HDZ, SNSD, SDP, NiP, and Naša stranka appear: “Their ambitions are great, but their capabilities are small.”
But joking aside, using such language about rhythm and atmosphere while deadlines are quickly running out causes frustration for most citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While it’s true that negotiating with the HDZ and SNSD is genuinely difficult, everyone knew that—except for the parties of the “Trojka” coalition. They spent days and months celebrating the downfall of a “three-legged stool” embodied in the “hated” SDA. In a style reminiscent of Vučić—”It’s all the fault of those before us; look at how bad they were”—the Trojka forgets they are now in power with the HDZ and SNSD, who are very much those “before,” and they have no answer to their politics of blackmail.
This is why people no longer believe them when they say the year isn’t wasted, no matter how hard Dragan Čović tries to claim it’s not over yet. It’s because since the Trojka formed what they boast as the “fastest-formed Council of Ministers in history,” they’ve been promising a breath of fresh air, that negotiations, agreements, and compromises would bear fruit. Because, logically, with the SDA out of the picture, everything would be easier.
But alas!
Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović are as unyielding as ever. Their demands keep piling up, mostly contrary to the requirements of the European Union, which Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to join.
Meanwhile, since January 2023, the Bosnian public has been waiting for the promised apology from Nermin Nikšić. It’s increasingly clear he still refuses to acknowledge that his partners, Dragan Čović and Milorad Dodik, are far from willing to cooperate. But hey, what’s important is that they have rhythm.
“Dragan Čović and Milorad Dodik have shown a willingness to work, cooperate, and negotiate. We must not kill that opportunity. If it turns out we are wrong, we will apologize and withdraw,” said Nikšić in January 2023.
And so, nearly two years later, we’re still waiting for an apology that will never come.
Perhaps they truly have invested much in compromise and discussions (as evidenced by the positions handed over to SNSD and HDZ personnel), but it’s clear that the third party saw this as a green light to do as they please, cherry-picking agenda items that suit only them.
Fortunately, the Trojka can always fall back on the tried-and-tested defense mechanism: blame the SDA. They invoice the Growth Plan to SDA’s cantonal prime ministers, not even acknowledging that the Growth Plan could be sent to Brussels without the cantonal prime ministers’ approval. The real reason lies in Čović’s refusal—logically, because tomorrow, he will use the same mechanism for obstruction, not coordination. That’s precisely how the infamous mechanism was designed: one where even a local community could act as a state.
But every problem seems easier to solve with rhythm and a good atmosphere.
Unfortunately, this does not ease the burden on the citizens or the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s becoming increasingly evident, in the most painful way, just how dangerous it was to form a coalition with SNSD and HDZ, even though it wasn’t necessary.
Now, all Nikšić, his Elmedin Konaković, and Edin Forto have left is to keep the rhythm and say, “It’s fine—we’re still talking!” As if the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina gain any benefit from mere talk.
