In response to the Independent's article “Bosnia Herzegovina files formal application to join EU”
Today, on February 15th 2016 Bosnia has officially submitted its application to become a member of the European Union. In the article published in Independent it is highlighted that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have high chances on becoming an EU member any time soon. “At an event in Brussels, diplomats indicated Sarajevo may not have met all the conditions required to submit an application”. Bosnia is the creation of the EU and a failure of Bosnia meeting the criteria can be considered the fault of the EU itself.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the Southeastern part of Europe and its citizens should be able to have the same standards as the rest of Europe. Bosnian president stated today "We see that our neighbor Croatia is already a member state, Montenegro is on its EU integration path, as well as Serbia. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a part of this continent," Dragan Covic, the chairman of Bosnia's presidency, said in submitting the a This is making Bosnia a gaping whole of unemployment and poverty in Europe. Bosnian's citizens are unable to travel to their neighboring countries due to need for visas. The smallest coastline in the world is located in Bosnia, the only beach where its citizens can go on holiday without being burdened by visa paperwork. The EU without Bosnia would be similar to having apartheid like homelands created by South Africa where its impoverished citizens would be trapped.
Delaying Bosnian membership into the EU has serious consequences. Bosnia would more rely upon Russia and Middle Eastern countries for aid and economic development. As mentioned in one of my previous posts Middle Eastern countries are purchasing many of Bosnian recreational and commercial real estate. Russian development is focused in the Republic of Srpska in Bosnia further separating the country into two entities.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has applied for EU membership which will allow this war torn country the opportunity to grow politically and economically. Bosnia has been treated as a modern day colony for many European Union members exporting Bosnian raw materials and importing manufactured goods at a significant negative balance. The citizens of Bosnia are already legally and illegally working in the service and construction industries of EU members. This brain drain being exploited by European Union members for its cheap labor will continue until there are opportunities in Bosnia. The EU members look down upon Bosnia and yet are the ones who are responsible for its failures. The Dayton Peace Accord was signed in 1995 which ideally in twenty years should have reestablished peace, stability, and economic prosperity of an former Olympic host. Instead, the country of Bosnia has fallen into a poor ethnically divided European state. Bosnia and Herzegovina should have already improved its economy, justice system, rule of law, public administration and political institutions to be considered for EU membership. A failure for Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the EU in a timely manner is the mistake the EU is responsible for.