REACTIONS

All eyes are on Joe Biden

Gjenero, Turčalo, Popov and Korajlić for "Avaz"

Biden: He announced stronger engagement in B&H and in the Western Balkans. Archive

Piše: E. Halimić

All eyes in BiH, but also in the Western Balkans, are on the newly elected President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, according to political scientists from B&H, Serbia and Croatia.

In the last few weeks, at least five international conferences have been held on the situation in B&H, the need for constitutional reforms, and the fight against corruption. In addition to international conferences on B&H, a debate was held in the US Congress.


Good impression

Political scientist from Zagreb Davor Gjenero told "Avaz" that Biden had already announced that he would not observe the situation in B&H peacefully, as the previous administration did.

- Serious political actors who are interested in participating in these processes are on the scene again. I was very impressed by the congressional debate and it seems to me that a democratic America will be the initiator of the consolidation process - Gjenero believes.


Gjenero: Serious political actors. Archive

He added that, apparently, the new administration in the United States does not think that Republic of Srpska is there forever.

Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, Sead Turčalo, points out that expectations from Biden are high.

- But in a way, it should be dimensioned, so that there would not be great disappointment, bearing in mind that the new administration will first have to solve internal problems in the United States. The new administration will definitely facilitate the activities of other actors in B&H, first of all the EU, the OHR, and finally its diplomats who are in charge of this region - Turčalo explained.


Turčalo: Expectations are high. Archive

Necessary reforms

Things are moving in the direction of stronger American engagement in B&H and the region, says Aleksandar Popov, a political analyst and director of the Center for Regionalism in Novi Sad.

- If this transition in the USA did not last this long, I think we would already have some action. It is obvious that the situation in B&H is unsustainable and things are going further. However, the USA and the EU have their problems, but I expect that significant changes will take place in the foreseeable future, primarily because Biden knows the situation in B&H well - Popov pointed out.


Popov: The situation is unsustainable. Archive

The executive director of Transparency International B&H, Ivana Korajlić, says that B&H could fight corruption from within, but only if there was a will.

- However, the implementation of reforms is not in the interest of those who need to implement them. That is why the international community is constantly seen as a solution and that nothing can be done without their pressure. We saw that the pressure of the citizens did not bear fruit, because the political elite is not interested in the citizens - Korajlić pointed out.


Korajlić: Citizen pressure. Archive

Russia has more important problems

- These days, Russian diplomacy is frantically repeating that the division into two entities is sealed and definite, and if they need to emphasize that, then it is clear that they have information that the other side does not think that the division is something that cannot be discussed. The fact that Russia is still loud should not scare us, because they have their own geopolitical interests that they have to resolve - Gjenero emphasized.