Helmut Brandstätter, head of the Austrian NEOS delegation in the European Parliament, has sharply condemned recent comments by Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, labeling them “intolerable” and “outrageously insolent.”
In an interview with Die Presse, Dodik referred to Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) and her visit to Sarajevo as the work of “idiots as ministers”, provoking swift backlash from Austrian officials and pro-EU representatives.
Brandstätter stated: “Dodik is only hurting Serbs with such rhetoric. His behavior reveals he is cornered.” He reiterated that Meinl-Reisinger’s April visit to Sarajevo was a “logical and legitimate act” within the framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession process — a path Dodik openly opposes.
Legal and Diplomatic Isolation Mounts
Dodik is currently under an arrest warrant issued by the Bosnian state prosecutor for violating the country’s constitutional order. Austria has already imposed a travel ban on him.
Brandstätter didn’t hold back: “If he truly wants to serve his people, the best he could do is resign.”
He also condemned the deteriorating situation in Serbia, particularly the recent arrests of opposition activists from the Free Citizens’ Movement (PSG) in Novi Sad, whose private communications had allegedly been surveilled.
Yet, despite rising authoritarianism, Brandstätter expressed support for continuing EU accession negotiations with Serbia, emphasizing the need to engage civil society while holding governments accountable.
