Representatives of the German parliamentary parties with whom DW spoke react positively to the decision of Germany and Austria to ban on entry on the territory of those countries to the President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Višković and President of the RS Assembly Nenad Stevandić, writes Deutsche Welle (DW).
Hart: necessary coordination with EU partners
The foreign policy spokesman of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Jürgen Hart, believes that the decision of the current German government in cooperation with the Austrian government is correct.
"It is logical to ban Milorad Dodik from entering Germany and Austria, because it must be clear: any threat to BiH's statehood must have consequences, regardless of whether it comes from the Bosniak, Croat or Serbian side. Illegal actions must be punished. Germany and Europe have an obligation to the people of BiH that they will fulfill in the future," Hart replied to DW's inquiry.
Hart is an MP for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party likely to be the majority partner in Germany's future coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPD), and he has called on all parties involved in the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina to return to the negotiating table. He also requested the introduction of a new format in which problems would be solved. "It is high time to establish a roundtable format to resolve constitutional crises," Hart said.
He also pointed out that Germany failed to reach a common position at the level of the European Union, without mentioning where that coordination "stuck". "No matter how correct the decision of the still current German government on the issue of the head of state of the RS was, unfortunately a harmonized European position was not achieved. Harmonization at the European level is one of the tasks of the future government," said Hart.
"The EU must show its teeth to the autocrats in the Western Balkans"
And the likely future minority partner in the coalition government, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), welcomed the decision to ban entry into the territory of Germany and Austria. "It is the right decision that has been long awaited. Europe must consider further steps and show determination against the autocrats in the Western Balkans," Adis Ahmetović, rapporteur for the Western Balkans of the SPD parliamentary group, told DW in the current convocation of the Bundestag.
And his colleague from the Greens, who was also elected to the new convocation of the Bundestag, Boris Mijatović, is of the opinion that the move by Austria and Germany is completely expected. "In the EU, the rule of law and an independent judiciary are the fundamental foundations of the member states. That is why it is quite logical that Germany and Austria react to the verdict of Milorad Dodik and take measures to support the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And that is why it is quite logical that Germany and Austria are now reacting to the verdict of Milorad Dodik," Mijatović, reporter of the Zeleni party for the Western Balkans, told DW.
The German Minister of State for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne Liermann (Greens) and the new Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger (Neos), yesterday (April 3), during their visit to Sarajevo, announced the decision to ban the Republika Srpska leadership from entering the territory of Germany and Austria.
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW)
