According to a report, the Europe Ministers of the EU countries have granted Bosnia candidate status. The official decision could be made this week. The country will thus be rewarded for its reform efforts. But it is also a signal to Kremlin boss Putin.
The Europe Ministers of the EU member states have agreed to grant Bosnia-Herzegovina the status of an EU accession candidate. As reported by diplomatic circles, the decision is to be officially confirmed at the EU summit on Thursday. The EU Commission recommended candidate status for the Balkan country in October, which is linked to reforms in the judiciary and administration.
So far, a total of seven countries are officially EU accession candidates: Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania as well as Ukraine and Moldova, which the EU granted this status in June. It may be years, if not decades, before all countries are included.
Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann said on behalf of the federal government that Berlin recommends candidate status for Bosnia-Herzegovina because the country has made "enormous reform efforts". The political actors in the country showed that they are "clearly willing to initiate the necessary reforms on the way to the EU". Lührmann particularly emphasized the elections for the state presidency and parliament in Bosnia at the beginning of October. It had been possible to hold these "in a fair and free environment in order to form a government".
In the Republic of Srpska, the Serbian republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, however, the elections were overshadowed by allegations of fraud against the Serbian nationalist hardliner Milorad Dodik. Dodik, who is considered an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was finally confirmed as the winner after a recount at the end of October. The lack of stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been a problem for a long time: for some time there have been attempts to secede from the Republic of Srpska. Russia is accused of supporting these efforts.
The granting of EU accession candidate status to Sarajevo, which has now been initiated, is therefore also seen as a signal to Kremlin boss Putin - just like the corresponding decisions in favor of Ukraine and Moldova.
