A significant number of Bosniak politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have condemned the recent gathering in Banja Luka, describing it as a provocation.
Denis Bećirović, a member of the BiH Presidency, stated that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić must acknowledge that the Republika Srpska (RS) has never been and will never be a state.
SDA Condemns Vučić’s Presence in Banja Luka
The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) strongly criticized Vučić’s visit to Banja Luka on the occasion of Serbia’s Statehood Day, labeling it an act of open aggression and the most blatant attack on Bosnia’s territorial integrity to date.
BiH Defense Minister Zukan Helez went even further, claiming that Vučić arrived in Banja Luka as a political refugee since he is no longer welcomed in Serbia’s major cities, where student-led protests against his government are gaining momentum.
Vučić Accused of Destabilizing Bosnia
“By marking an imaginary joint holiday between Serbia and the smaller Bosnian entity, Vučić aims to provoke a crisis in BiH and the region while diverting attention, even temporarily, from Serbia’s deepening socio-political crisis,” said Helez.
He compared Vučić’s policies to those of Slobodan Milošević, stating that the only difference is that while Milošević sought territorial expansion through military aggression, Vučić is doing so by continuously provoking political crises.
Dodik and Vučić’s Nationalist Display
The leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, personally welcomed Vučić at the Banja Luka airport, marking Serbia’s Statehood Day under the slogan “Unity and Pride”.
Despite no clear justification for Vučić celebrating Serbia’s statehood outside of its own borders, the event in Banja Luka fuels further tensions stemming from the so-called All-Serb Assembly, which aligns with separatist aspirations for Republika Srpska’s secession from BiH.
The timing of the gathering is particularly noteworthy, as both Vučić and Dodik are facing the greatest political crises of their careers.
