The leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, and two of his close associates, will be banned from entering Germany and Austria due to their role in provoking a constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the foreign ministers of both countries said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German State Minister for Europe and Climate Anna Luhrmann made these comments following a meeting in Sarajevo with Borjana Krišto, the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reported by REL.
In March, the Bosnian State Court issued national arrest warrants for the three leaders of the Serb entity in Bosnia, Republika Srpska: President Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Višković, and National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić. They are accused of violating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional order through their actions.
All three have ignored calls from authorities to present themselves for questioning.
Meinl-Reisinger and Luhrmann emphasized that the attacks on the constitutional integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina by key politicians from Republika Srpska, “who consciously weaken the state, are unacceptable and pose a threat to the security and stability of Bosnia and the entire region.”
“Therefore, Austria and Germany, in close coordination with other partners, are firmly opposing these responsible politicians from the Republika Srpska entity. For this purpose, measures are being initiated that will prevent the three responsible politicians from Republika Srpska from entering Austria and Germany in the future,” the statement said.
Dodik is already under sanctions by the United States and the United Kingdom, but the European Union has so far been unable to reach a consensus on sanctions against him, due to opposition from one of its member states, Hungary.
Western governments believe Dodik’s actions are aimed at separating Republika Srpska from Bosnia.
In February, Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from holding office for six years for disregarding decisions made by the International High Representative.
In response, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska passed laws that banned the work of the Court, Prosecutor’s Office, State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia in its territory.
Dodik decreed these laws on March 5.
Republika Srpska also passed a draft new constitution in March, which would define the entity as a state for the Serb people, grant it the right to self-determination, and establish its own army.
All of these actions directly contradict Bosnia’s Constitution and the Dayton Peace Agreement, which designated Republika Srpska as one of two entities of Bosnia.
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared these laws unconstitutional.
These actions by Republika Srpska have been condemned worldwide, from U.S. Secretary of State Marko Rubio to NATO Chief Mark Rutte, as well as various foreign embassies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Under the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation are entities that form Bosnia, but they do not have state powers. Sovereignty and territorial integrity are reserved solely for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not its entities.
During his tenure as president of Republika Srpska, Dodik has faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, undermining democratic institutions, and fostering a culture of political patronage.
