Conference paper
FEDERATIVE STATE WITH THREE REPUBLICS - OPTIMAL SOLUTION OF THE CROAT ISSUE FOR EUROPEAN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Božo Žepić
; Croatian Academy of Science and Art in BiH
Abstract
The pre-war time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just like the war and post-war time
were abundant with debates, different views and numerous proposals for the state structure
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was supposed to secure the country’s survival, integrity,
self-sustainability and efficient functioning, as well as peaceful co-existence of the three
constitutive nations, national minorities and all the citizens. Various local and international
interests were conflicting in the debates. However, no matter how many prominent local and
international experts gave their contribution, a win-win solution has not been found yet, the
one which would be satisfying for everyone, especially for the three ethnical national policies
and the policy of the international community. Today, after twenty-two years of applying
the Dayton solution, it is obvious that it is not satisfactory and may not be considered final
indeed. On the contrary, with this solution, the country has been functioning as a half-protectorate,
under supervision and management of the international community and the High
Representative, appointed by the international community, however in a permanent, deeper
or somewhat less deep crisis, but always in crisis. Obviously, this eccentric and entirely
inefficient constitutional-legal and administrative-territorial structure is not satisfying for
anyone, neither it may lead the country onto a peaceful, safe and certain accession path to
Europe. Therefore, reorganisation of the state is an absolute must and also a duty, because
the country with such state structure and torn with conflicts is not suitable for Europe. After
years of scientific researches, participation in numerous local and international scientific
conferences, numerous published articles, five published books on Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the author came to a conclusion that the best solution for all involved parties may be found
only through an open dialogue, with support and mediation of the international community
and its experts. The best solution for the open “Croat issue“, but also the best compromise
solution for everyone would be a federative state of Bosnia and Herzegovina with three republics
and three levels of local self-government. The only two alternatives to this solution
are either to merely vegetate in the current situation, resp. to keep the full protectorate or
the dissolution of the state, which necessarily involves permanent conflicts. The author, who
survived two wars and has more than forty years of experience in scientific work, points out
to main causes of the actual crisis, potential disastrous consequences of keeping the status
quo, disputability of the success of the accession path to Europe and security of the perspective
of a European state and its nations and citizens.
Keywords
The Federative state; three Republics; The Croat issue; EU.
Hrčak ID:
235264
URI
Publication date:
4.6.2018.
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