February 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The recent corruption scandals in Bosnia and Herzegovina are but yet another page in the book of Bosnia's long and troubled contemporary history. Corruption, in fact, is nothing new to The Balkans, and Eastern Europe as a whole. If this scandal broke out at any time, it arguably would not cause that much of an issue in the grand scheme of things. However, this has come at the absolute worst time possible. In the midst of a confrontation between Serbia and Republika Srpska, the bombshell corruption accusations across several sectors of Bosnian society has severely worsened the situation. As Sarajevo and Banja Luka were rocked with protests, some thought that the fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina hung in the balance. However, with the withdrawal of Serbian troops from the border, as well as several backroom deals between the Bosnian Federal Government, a response to the plethora of scandals can finally take place without the looming threat of invasion.

As the threat of war faded, however, some in the Bosnian government, particularly Željko Komšić and other anti-nationalists, began to privately thank the Croatian journalists. His political rival, Čović Dragan, a right wing Croat nationalist who could almost be compared to RS' Milorad Dodik, had taken a hard fall. Better yet: in addition to numerous criminal charges for "disobeying" the OHR, Dodik himself had been named in the extensive report. So was, in fact, Bakir Izetbegović; leader of the Bosniak Nationalist SDA party. In a sudden turn of events, all three heads of the ethnic nationalist hydras were weakened.

Shortly after the release of the bombshell piece of journalism, the Tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina released a rare joint statement, thoroughly criticizing the apparent corruption in Bosnia's institutions and calling for unity between all three constituent people's in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Željko Komšić in particular gave an interview to the Sarajevo Times, explicitly criticizing corruption in both (Federation of) Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Finally, Davor Bunoza (Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina) announced that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was launching wide ranging anti-corruption investigations not only into the individuals mentioned in the report, but much deeper into the overall institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. So far, by February 11th, several indictments have been made, including but not limited to:

• Bakir Izetbegović

• Benjamina Karić

• Željka Stojičić

• Several officers in the Arrmed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina involved in the alleged embezzlement circle. They have been currently arrested and placed under court martial while the civilian charges are finalized.

• Dragan Čović

• Milorad Dodik

Corruption is a plague across all of the post-communist world, and this is but a small step in the marathon of fighting it. After the indictments, Mr. Komšić once again publicly criticized for their interference in Bosnian politics, especially after the report and indictments made against Dragan Čović, the Croatian Prime Ministers "preferred" candidate in 2022.