EU Leaders Invite Bosnia to Membership Talks, but Set Preconditions

On Thursday, European Union leaders agreed in principle to open membership negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina despite deep lingering ethnic divisions in the nation with 3.2 million inhabitants.

Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of six countries in the region at different stages of the EU membership process, along with Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

EU Leaders Agree To Open Membership Talks With Bosnia

At a summit in Brussels last week, the 27 leaders granted their political approval following the European Commission, the EU's executive branch.

"The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Congratulations!" EU Council president Charles Michel said. "Your place is in our European family."

Michel promptly followed up, warning that much work must be done before the country can become a member. He said that the hard work needs to continue so Bosnia and Herzegovina can steadily advance, as their people want.

The conference leaders concluded that Bosnia must continue implementing "all relevant steps set out" by the Commission, including judicial, political, and economic reforms and stronger efforts to combat corruption and money laundering.

Bosnia is still divided along ethnic lines even decades after the 1992-1995 war that tore the nation apart and left over 100,000 people dead and millions of people displaced.

Furthermore, Bosnia was granted candidate status in 2022. To become a member of the EU, a country must undergo a lengthy process to ensure that its laws and standards conform to those of the bloc and that its economies and institutions uphold democratic principles.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said upon his arrival in Brussels that major work remains before Bosnia can engage in intense negotiations with the bloc. Rutte claimed that Bosnia must fulfill all the necessary actions in the Commission's report so they will have ticked all the boxes.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he supports Bosnia's candidacy but with some restrictions. He declared that they adhere to the game's regulations and the fulfillment of all prerequisites.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared he was very much for moving a step forward after the many efforts made in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He said that the states of the Western Balkans also must be able to rely on them.

GERMANY-BOSNIA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY — The national flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina (L) is pictured next to the European Union flag during a welcoming ceremony for Bosnia's Chairman of the Council of Ministers at the Chancellery in Berlin on August 13, 2018. (Photo: ADAM BERRY/AFP via Getty Images)

Pro-Russian Leader Attempts to Undermine Bosnia

Pro-Russian separatist leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, continues to undermine the country's president and other key positions. In December, Dodik told The Associated Press that he intended to keep the country collapsing.

According to the most recent annual threat assessment by US intelligence, which was released last month, Dodik is taking provocative steps to neutralize international oversight in Bosnia and secure de facto secession for his Republika Srpska.

His action could prompt leaders of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) population to bolster their capacity to protect their interests and possibly lead to violent conflicts that could overwhelm peacekeeping forces.