On 31 January 2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina received the new, fifth High Representative – Christian Schwarz-Schilling (right). Schwarz-Schilling has been engaged in work with Bosnia and Herzegovina for a long time already, having worked as a mediator during and after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His appointment to the post of the High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina was welcomed by many citizens, who recognized him as a true friend of this country. (21-FEB-05)
History
The engagement of Schwarz-Schilling in Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1992, when he, as a German politician at the time, stepped down from the German government, protesting against the indolence of Germany and Europe in cessation of war in the Balkans.
He told the chancellor he was “ashamed” to belong to such a government, saying he had entered politics in the first place to ensure that atrocities like those perpetrated by the Nazis “never happen again”.
He consequently committed himself to stopping of the war and started working as international mediator in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His work continued for 10 subsequent years.
Christian Schwarz-Schilling was one of the leading supporters of ESI (European Stability Initiative), when it was established in 1999. Two of the three founding ESI board members (Gerald Knaus and Dieter Wolkewitz) were then his advisors for his Bosnia mediation.
Present
“I am confident that the coordination of the International Community and the work of the OHR are in good hands,” said the outgoing High Representative, Paddy Ashdown (photo, left). “Dr. Schwarz-Schilling knows this country, loves this country, and has acted out of principle for the benefit of this country. I can think of nobody better to take over”, he added, during a short ceremony in front of the entrance of the main OHR office in Sarajevo.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has entered a new phase; it has begun negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Commission”, said the incoming High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue the work, and to continue with the reforms in order to make this country a normal country, with its rightful place in Europe ”.
His tenure is unlimited, though he hopes to see the Office of the High Representative dissolved by 2007.
He announced that his main objectives would be the arrest of Karadzic and Mladic, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership of Partnership for Peace, successful elections by the national authorities, and completion of negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement.
He says his first priority will be the country´s sluggish economy. GDP languishes at only 60% of its pre-war level.
“If the people have nothing to eat, if some people are still living in tents, there´s something wrong. Then no democracy can be convincing,” he says.
But there are other huge challenges. They include streamlining the country´s hugely complex (and expensive) bureaucratic structure; reworking the country´s ethnically weighted constitution; strengthening central government and national institutions; implementing reforms in fields like defence and education.
Doing all this without resorting to his big stick – the so-called Bonn powers vested in the post to force through changes – is a huge task, say commentators.
