- Republika Srpska bans BiH law enforcement, judiciary
On February 27, at a special session, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) adopted emergency laws prohibiting law enforcement and judicial bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina from operating on RS territory. These include the Court of BiH, the Supreme Court of BiH, the Prosecutor’s Office, and SIPA (State Investigation and Protection Agency), which the NSRS sees as “extra-constitutional institutions of BiH.” A law amending the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska was also adopted, according to which failure to implement decisions of Republika Srpska institutions in BiH institutions or local self-government bodies shall be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years.
On March 5, the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, signed a decree approving the laws adopted at the special session of the NSRS. The laws adopted restore the agency and constitutional jurisdiction of the Republica Srpska, Dodik said after signing legislation.
The laws were immediately published in the RS Official Gazette and thus entered into force.
The Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republika Srpska, Senka Jujić, declared the laws aimed at protecting the constitutional order of the Republika Srpska and the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
At the same time, observers note the laws were adopted after the Bosnia and Herzegovina court sentenced RS President Dodik to a year in prison on February 26 for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative of the international community in BiH. He is also banned from holding the post of president for six years.
The Vice President of Republika Srpska, Bosnian politician Ćamil Duraković, commenting on the adoption of the RS laws, said Dodik “de facto carried out a coup d’état and separated Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Duraković emphasized that the next step would be an appeal to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a court decision. “Only then will we see whether we have a state or not. Only then will we see whether we have an international community that is obliged to protect peace and the Dayton Peace Agreement or not,” said the Vice President of Republika Srpska.
Experts were unable to clearly determine what the implementation of the new RS laws would look like in practice, but they agree on one thing: a legal vacuum has been created that can only be filled by a decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If Republika Srpska disrespects the judgment of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina will need the help of the international community to resolve the issue.
- Opposition protests in Serbian Parliament
The first session of the regular, spring session of the Serbian parliament on March 4 was marked by numerous incidents. After the agenda was established, which was supposed to discuss government bills, opposition deputies set off smoke bombs, flares, blew vuvuzelas and whistles in the session hall, and threw eggs and bottles. Also, a scuffle and even a fight erupted between lawmakers, and parliament speaker Ana Brnabić was doused with water. Three legislators from the ruling majority were affected. In particular, one female lawmaker, who is eight months pregnant, felt sick, and another deputy suffered a stroke.
Opposition deputies protested against the session agenda approved by the ruling majority. According to the opposition, the government, which is effectively retired after the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević in February this year, shall not put forward any draft laws. Therefore, the parliament should only discuss the fulfillment of the demand of students, who have been protesting for several months, and also officially approve the resignation of Prime Minister Vučević.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić referred to the incidents in the Serbian parliament as an “act of hooliganism” and demanded that those responsible for the violence in the chamber be held to account under the criminal code.
After a stormy start to the spring session, the Serbian parliament resumed its work on March 5. The institutions “will not retreat in the face of savagery and terrorism,” said speaker Ana Brnabić.
The session is expected to decide on the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, but, as Brnabić reported, this will be done after the discussion of all items on the agenda is completed.
Most opposition deputies are not participating in sessions. The head of the parliamentary group, Green Left Front MP Radomir Lazović, said that opposition deputies are not participating in parliament’s work in order not to contribute to the creation of a “false image of normality”.
The EU condemned the events in the Serbian parliament on March 4, expressing deep concern about the disruption and violence in parliament, as per the European External Action Service (EEAS) said. Parliament should be a place for democratic debate in the interests of all citizens and should fully play its role, the statement said.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also expressed concern about the incidents and violence in the Serbian parliament. She called for de-escalation by creating conditions for an inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders.
Under pressure from Brussels, Belgrade may engage in dialogue with the opposition. In such a case, it is not ruled out that as a result of a political consensus, snap parliamentary elections could be scheduled.
- Hungary, North Macedonia to strengthen cooperation
North Macedonia and Hungary will cooperate even more closely on a bilateral basis. This was stated by the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Viktor Orbán and Hristiyan Mickoski, in Budapest, where the Hungarian-Macedonian government summit was held on March 3-4.
Orbán noted that North Macedonia, Hungary, and Serbia belong to the same economic region, a territory that could be a common economic zone with enormous economic potential. But since North Macedonia and Serbia are outside the EU, development can only be ensured through developing intensive bilateral relations between the countries, he added.
The process of North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union has been taking too long, and Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán believes that only EU members are responsible for this. Hungary cannot influence the process, but can “cooperate as closely as possible with Macedonia,” he noted.
Prime Minister Mickoski, at a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart, stressed that EU membership has always been a strategic goal of North Macedonia, and will remain so in the future. At the same time, he expressed disappointment that the process is now at the same point as it was 20 years ago, although, according to him, Macedonian citizens have already made great sacrifices to make it happen. Mickoski expressed hope that progress will resume in the near future, primarily with Hungary’s support.
The Macedonian Prime Minister thanked the Hungarian government for its continued support and noted that the summit discussed further deepening of bilateral cooperation, primarily in the implementation of infrastructure projects, in the military and security sectors, as well as in the cultural area.
The government summit and the meeting of the heads of government of North Macedonia and Hungary marked another stage in even closer cooperation between the two countries. In fact, this became another confirmation that Orban managed to build a community in the Balkans loyal to Budapest government, which includes North Macedonia, Serbia, and the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Kosovo arrests ‘Serbian spy’
Jelena Djukanovic, an employee of the OSCE Mission in Pristina and a resident of North Mitrovica, was detained on February 28 at the border crossing in Jarinje in northern Kosovo on suspicion of espionage. The prosecutor’s office said the arrest followed months of investigation.
The Basic Court in Pristina ruled in a closed session on March 2 to remand the suspect in custody for one month.
The OSCE Mission in Pristina said it reached out to the relevant institutions and the organization’s Secretariat in Vienna to ensure due process.
Some Kosovo media outlets claim the arrested person is a ‘spy’ for the Serbian Security and Information Agency (BIA).
The woman could face up to five years in prison if found guilty of espionage or collecting data for foreign intelligence or otherwise facilitating the work of the agency.
This is not the first incident involving representatives of an international organization on suspicion of malign activities targeting at Kosovo. Six years ago, a Russian citizen, an employee of the UN Mission, was detained in Kosovo for helping organize Serb protests in the country’s north.
