The Prospect of European Integration and Conflict Transformation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Conflict transformation means a change for the better that relates to the conflict object, the parties to the conflict and the way they pursue their antagonistic interests. This article investigates how the prospect of being integrated into the European Union can transform ethno‐political conflicts over secession. It sketches out a framework of potential positive and negative impacts and it applies these considerations to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was offered the possibility of membership in 1999. Since 2002, the prospect of integration has furthered conflict transformation through setting incentives to put up with the contested common state, providing the parties to the conflict with a shared vision, and reinforcing the norms of democracy and non‐violence. However, the EU could lose its constructive influence, if it ignores that some of its demands serve the interests of one side while they violate these of the other.

Key Words:

• Prospect of integration
• conflict transformation
• post‐settlement peace‐building
• Bosnia and Herzegovina

Acknowledgement

The author thanks the German Academic Exchange Service for support of research in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005; the German Research Foundation for funding the project on state‐building and nation‐building in post‐civil war societies; and Julika Bake, Berit Bliesemann de Guevara, Simon Duke, John Groom, Robert Janecka, Marc Kleine, Ute Möntnich, Jesenko Tešan and three anonymous reviewers for constructive comments.

Notes

1. Data provided by the Research and Documentation Center Sarajevo (http://www.idc.org.ba/presentation/index.htm).

2. Data compiled using the information available at http://www.ohr.int/decisions/archive.asp.

3. The EU officials told the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the referendum in Ireland did not imperil the integration prospect (Nezavisne novine 2008b).

4. For another typology, see Coppieters et al. (2004, 25 et seq.).

5. Available at http://www.ohr.int/other-doc/hr-reports/archive.asp?sa=on.

6. Telephone interview with Milan Baštinac, advisor of Republika Srpska’s Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik (SNSD), for European integration, 29 August 2007. Note that I only report the positions and functions any interviewees had at the time of the interview.

7. On the High Representatives’ discourse on EU integration, see Majstorović (2007).

8. Interview with Beriz Belkić, SBiH, head of the party’s club in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, 25 May 2005.

9. Interview with Josip Merdžo, HDZ, Deputy President of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar, 18 April 2005.

10. Ibid.

11. See OHR BiH Media Round‐up 11 September 2002, available at http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/presso/bh-media-rep/round-ups/default.asp?content_id=27892.

12. Results available at http://www.izbori.ba.

13. Data provided by Puhalo (2003, 147 et seq.). The reported answers by Bosniacs and Croats were given in the Federation. The information announced as given by Serbs was actually given by interviewed citizens of Republika Srpska. Some 95 per cent of them were Serbs.

14. UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina (2007, 101 et seq.). The reported numbers referred to members of the respective majority in areas with a Bosniac, Serb or Croat majority.

15. Interview with Gojko Berić, columnist for the daily Oslobođenje, Sarajevo, 5 April 2005.

16. Interview with Seada Palavrić, SDA, head of the party’s club of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and SDA’s vice‐president, Sarajevo, 29 April 2005.

17. Interview with Igor Radojičić, SNSD, secretary‐general and representative in Republika Srpska’s National Assembly, Banja Luka, 14 April 2005.

18. Interview with Velimir Jukić, HDZ, deputy president of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzgovina, Mostar, 18 April 2005.

19. Anonymous interview with a minister of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, 7 April 2005.

20. See note 6.

21. Anonymous interview with a member of the Office of the High Representative.