Bosnia: visa liberalisation - an opportunity despite the politicians

In early February, the Gallup Europe and European Fund for the Balkans roadshow reached Sarajevo for an event that focused on visa liberalisation: “a chance that should not be missed”. Before an expectant audience, EFB programme manager Igor Bandovic introduced the panel and Gallup research analyst Andrzej Pyrka presented the GBM results for BiH including the findings that almost half of BiH citizens (47%) felt that visa liberalisation divided the Western Balkans and that over three-quarters (78%) of those citizens would like to continue living in the country.
With TV Hayat’s Adnan Rondić moderating the panel discussion, Nedeljko Masleša, assistant director of the Directorate of EU Integration, quoted his own survey that showed that just a third of BiH citizens were sufficiently well-informed about the EU. Vehid Šehić, director of the Forum of Tuzla Citizens, was critical; he suggested that BiH citizens should make their own politicians deliver results – on issues such as visa liberalisation – rather than be continually turning towards Brussels for assistance. Faruk Borić, editor of the Oslobođenje newspaper said he would prefer visa liberalisation to be granted to BiH after the October general election so that none of those same politicians could claim it as their personal success.
The event concluded with an animated Q&A session where several of the audience’s fears were aired. It was suggested that the EU was biased against Muslims in their visa liberalisation decisions and that such liberalisation could lead to a real exodus from the country. The panel held firm however, arguing that neither of those theories held any credence.