Bosnia held elections last October but the winning parties have still not agreed on how to form a government
might have a new government soon. Or maybe it won’t. No one seems to know. The country held elections last October but the winning parties have still not agreed on how to form one. In any case, Bosnia’s central government has little power; the country has three presidents, and their current chairman wishes it did not even exist. Tens of thousands of people emigrate every year, having lost any hope for the future.
From 1992 to 1995 Bosnia was the Syria of its day. Some 100,000 people died in the three-way war between the country’s communities: its Orthodox Serbs, its Catholic Croats and its Muslims . Unlike in Syria, though, Western powers intervened and eventually ended the shooting. A peace agreement was signed at an American airbase in Dayton, Ohio, and 60,000 peacekeepers were sent to make it stick. But today few believe that the complex deal made to end the war now delivers good governance.
Milorad Dodik, who has long dominated the Republika Srpska, is the current chairman of the country’s tripartite presidency. In Banja Luka, the capital of the Republika Srpska, you would hardly know you were in Bosnia. Mr Dodik says he usually travels on a passport from Serbia, and that the presidency building in Sarajevo is like a tomb. He visits Russia’s Vladimir Putin as often as he can, wants independence for his statelet and has invested in militarising his police forces.
In March Bosnia’s security minister alleged that the Croatian intelligence service had tried to force Bosniaks to smuggle arms to certain mosques. He said the plan was that they would then be discovered and the Croatian president’s claim that Bosnia was home to “thousands” of jihadists returned from the Middle East could thus be vindicated. The Croatian government ridicules the story.
When they want to, Bosnian politicians can put aside their disagreements and work together effectively. And though Bosnia’s demise has been widely and long predicted, it still functions. Yet the omens are not good. Although its economy grew by 3.1% last year, more and more people are leaving. “For 25 years I lived in hope,” says Ilija, a Croat lorry driver in Sarajevo. “Now I hate myself because of that.” Having secured the necessary permits, he is emigrating to Germany.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Coffee Prices Plunge Even Though We Can’t Stop Drinking the StuffThe brewed beverage has never been more popular, but the price of beans is at its lowest in over a decade.
Read more »
Thousands cheer on horses in Bosnia log-towing contestSeveral thousand people flocked to a private arena in northwest Bosnia on Saturd...
Read more »
Why Disney Might Want Solo Control Over Hulu — Though It Probably Won't Come CheapDisney appears to be looking to consolidate its ownership of Hulu. On April 15, AT&T just sold its 10% stake in the streaming service for a cool $1.43 billion — a transaction that valued Hulu at $15 billion. Now, its reportedly in talks with Comcast about shedding its 30% stake.
Read more »
Why Disney Might Want Solo Control Over Hulu — Though It Probably Won't Come CheapDisney appears to be looking to consolidate its ownership of Hulu. On April 15, AT&T just sold its 10% stake in the streaming service for a cool $1.43 billion — a transaction that valued Hulu at $15 billion. Now, its reportedly in talks with Comcast about shedding its 30% stake.
Read more »
There's A Big Problem With That Viral Video Of Chimps Scrolling Though InstagramRenowned chimp expert Jane Goodall is calling out the videos.
Read more »
Trump says he's 'not even a little bit' concerned about impeachmentPresident Donald Trump says he's 'not even a little' concerned about the prospect of impeachment, even though he recently sent of a series of tweets blasting the idea.
Read more »
Trump denies telling Don McGahn to fire Mueller 'even though I had the legal right to do so''If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself,' Trump says in a tweet storm.
Read more »
Snap's stronger-than-expected Q1 shows how it's revved up a critical part of its business even though user growth is stuck in the mud58% of Snap's Q1 2019 advertisers are renewing their spend, according to MediaRadar, signaling longterm adoption. This is welcome news for Snap, which has long been considered an experimental buy.
Read more »
Brazil Plan to Overhaul Pension System Passes First Legislative TestBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s proposal to overhaul the country’s pension system passed its first legislative test after a committee of the lower house of Congress decided the bill is in accordance with Brazil’s constitution.
Read more »
Exclusive: Iran's Zarif believes Trump does not want war, but could be lured into conflictExclusive: Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif told Reuters Trump could be lured into conflict even though he believes the U.S. president does not want war
Read more »