Why BiH will find it harder to resist separatists and what US has to do with it
On 11 May, the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, announced his resignation.
The news immediately became headline material, since the High Representative holds the highest authority within Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political system. The office serves as the guarantor of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia and established and safeguard peace in the country.
Schmidt also heads the Office of the High Representative (OHR). Attached to it is a collective body made up of representatives from 53 countries, the Peace Implementation Council, assisted by the European military mission EUFOR.
Read more about what may be behind this high-profile resignation in the article by Western Balkans expert Volodymyr Tsybulnyk: A loud resignation in difficult times: why Christian Schmidt's resignation threatens stability in the Balkans.
On 12 May, a scheduled meeting of the United Nations Security Council took place, where members discussed the latest semiannual report by the Office of the High Representative on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Afterwards, Christian Schmidt partially revealed the reasons behind his resignation in interviews with several media outlets.
According to him, he was "forced" into the decision by pressure directed not only at him personally, but also at the structures created under the Dayton Peace Accords. Schmidt did not specify who was exerting this pressure. However, he emphasised the consistent support he had received from European capitals.
He also unexpectedly added that the Office of the High Representative must not be closed now as if such a possibility were genuinely being considered. According to Schmidt, shutting it down before achieving its objectives "would call into question the existence of the Dayton Peace Accords and EUFOR".
Speaking about his resignation, Schmidt also referred to "personal reasons".
Most likely, there is indeed exhaustion from repeatedly lacking sufficient support from the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He constantly had to fight to preserve the country’s territorial integrity against Milorad Dodik – a separatist and friend of Vladimir Putin. And Dodik was later joined by Croatian political figures advocating for a third political entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There was probably also frustration stemming from Bosniak leaders’ lack of understanding of his actions.
Overall, Schmidt spent all five years of his mandate under pressure from international actors.
Another opponent of Schmidt was Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who dreams of uniting all Serbs within a "Serbian World" – an idea increasingly at odds with the Dayton agreements.
Recently, the United States has also joined those contributing to destabilisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Most likely, the United States played a key role in Christian Schmidt’s resignation. Since Donald Trump returned to power, Washington has reportedly exerted constant pressure on him.
US priorities regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina have shifted. Business projects, particularly in the energy sector, involving friends and partners of the American president have allegedly taken precedence over Bosnia's internal problems.
And Schmidt stood in the way. More than that, he reportedly interfered with a strategically important American project: the construction of the Southern Interconnector, which is intended to connect the gas pipelines of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and carry American gas supplies.
At the center of the dispute were the High Representative’s attempts to regulate issues related to state property.
Most likely, the mandate of the High Representative will now be restricted. At the UN Security Council meeting, there was even discussion of a "significant limitation".
In practice, this would mean fewer Bonn Powers and less legislative interventionism, while shifting towards more expert and consultative authority.
Christian Schmidt promised that he would remain in office until his successor is appointed, which is expected to happen in June.
Several candidates are already being mentioned. One name frequently cited is Karen Pierce, an experienced British diplomat.
Another possible candidate is an as-yet unnamed Italian diplomat reportedly supported by the United States. American diplomats have also hinted that Washington itself has a worthy candidate if the other options prove unsatisfactory.