OHR related Articles

The old regime in former Yugoslavia armed itself with draconian powers to control and sometimes muzzle the media. Journalists who criticised the government risked paying a heavy price. With the coming of democracy, the criminalisation of criticism ended. But in the absence of adequate libel and slander laws, fair and objective reporting was frequen [...]

Ever since becoming High Representative and EU Special Representative, I have sought to bring about a transition to domestic ownership in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, above all, to instil responsibility for decision-making in domestic institutions and politicians. Though progress has at times been slow and frustrating, I still believe that this is t [...]

As my mandate in Bosnia and Herzegovina draws to an end I remain optimistic about this country’s future, not least because of the resilience shown by entrepreneurs here. In many cases these are people who have successfully driven their business forward despite the shortcomings of the business environment. In the long run I believe their resilience [...]

Two new flags are flying in front of the European Council in Brussels, those of Romania and Bulgaria, the two countries that joined the European Union on 1 January. EU membership is the realisation of a long-term political goal for both countries – a goal which most of their citizens view as a guarantee of future peace and prosperity.

There is a core distinction between unsuccessful economies and successful ones. In unsuccessful economies, the people responsible for shaping the business environment focus on allocating wealth; in successful economies they focus on helping to create wealth.

Joining the European Union is a two-way process. Accession countries change in order to integrate. But the European Union changes too in order to respond to the new internal dynamic that accession countries create.

In any democracy, the conduct of parliamentarians is crucial; democracies only flourish if members of parliament act – and are seen to act – with integrity and responsibility in the interests of all those they represent.

The New Year is off to a good and auspicious start. The months of negotiations and horse-trading over the formation of a state-level government appear finally to be over.

There is a point in the construction of a house when the effort expended may appear disproportionate to the results achieved. Typically, this point is reached when the building is near completion. The heavy lifting has been done, the basic elements are in place but the house is not yet habitable. The electricity is only provisionally connected; the [...]

We are writing this article together because of our firm commitment to the wellbeing and security of this country. Security and prosperity are inter-linked and it is important that the outside world understands the progress that has been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina.