University:
University College London
Course:
LAWS0014 | European Union Law
Academic year:

2024
Views:

147

Pages:

2
Author:

Nam B.

Name : Date : 1. Why has Bosnia and Herzegovina been labeled the “champion of stagnation” in EU integration? Answer: Despite receiving candidate status, B-H lacks a reform agenda, a negotiating framework, and key political appointments. These delays are rooted in deep ethnicpolitical fragmentation and reliance on international governance structures like the OHR. 2. What role does the Office of High Representative (OHR) play in B-H’s political paralysis? Answer: Though intended to maintain peace post-Dayton, the OHR’s unelected authority undermines local political agency and accountability, stalling the development of selfsustaining institutions. 3. Why are EU constitutional and electoral reform demands controversial in B-H? Answer: They challenge the power-sharing mechanisms between Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. While these mechanisms are criticized for promoting ethnic entrenchment, they also prevent majoritarian dominance and preserve peace. 4. How do domestic divisions impact EU integration? Answer: A lack of national consensus—especially between the Federation and Republika Srpska—on basic state functions and identity blocks necessary legislative, institutional, and symbolic reforms. 5. Why does the EU not call for the abolition of the OHR? Answer: The EU values the OHR as a safeguard for peace, but this stance contradicts EU principles of democratic legitimacy and sovereignty, showing a double standard in external governance. 6. How do external interventions hinder domestic compromise? Answer: By deferring difficult decisions to international actors, domestic leaders avoid accountability and compromise, which deepens public disillusionment and perpetuates dependency. 7. Can B-H join the EU as an international protectorate? Answer: No. Full membership requires sovereign governance, which is incompatible with the current international oversight regime. The EU demands not just legal reforms, but political maturity.