Summary
Sebastiaan van der Hijden
Bosnië-Herzegovina op weg naar volwassenheid
Sebastiaan van der Hijden analyses three striking developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina on its rocky road to lasting peace and mature democracy: 1 an increase in local criticism of the international guardianship by the powerful Office of the High Representative; 2 a local call for ownership of the peace process and a demand for equality through partnership; and 3 recent attempts to restructure the international presence to enhance its performance, the streamlining process. The major stimuli behind these developments are a radical change in the political climate through the election of the moderate, multi-ethnic Alliance for Change and the international desire to withdraw from Bosnia within the foreseeable future. Incremental progress in Bosnia illustrates that it is still too early to initiate a process of withdrawal, but the international authority can take advantage of the new dynamism by re-adjusting its strategy. A commonly agreed upon agenda for the next decade, containing realistic benchmarks (linked to gradual withdrawal), may be a valuable guide. Moreover, the authority guiding the process can only seize the window of opportunity by assisting the peace process in a way that is both accountable to the Bosnian citizenry and yet leaves room for Bosnian politics to develop.