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Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Part of UK in Bosnia and Herzegovina

8th October 2014

Contemplations of a new arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina

I arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July, and was lucky enough to spend a month improving my language skills in Mostar and in Banja Luka before arriving in Sarajevo to take up my post as the new British Ambassador. I have decided to start a blog in order to share some of my own thoughts and, I hope, to encourage debate. Please do comment and contribute. I’d love to hear your views.

I thought I’d start by sharing some of my first impressions of this fascinating, if sometimes frustrating country.

This is a really beautiful country… Mountains, forests, lakes and rivers. This is my sort of scenery. I can’t wait to explore more of your beautiful cities and countryside. Some of my personal highlights so far include: watching people jumping from Mostar’s stunning old/new bridge; following the beautiful River Vrbas from Banja Luka to Jajce; drinking coffee in Bascarsija in Sarajevo; and enjoying the tranquillity of Blagaj and Prokusko Lake. You have so much to offer to tourists.

… but it’s under-developed and undiscovered. Unfortunately, BiH has an image problem. When I told friends in the UK I was coming here, the first reaction of most people was to ask whether it is safe. Many tourists seem to come from Croatia for the day, and so the economy doesn’t get the benefit. If BiH is to attract more tourists, it needs some focused investment. Most of all though, it needs to exude stability. It needs a government that is getting things done, and making sure that people around the world are hearing stories about political reconciliation and positive development. Early re-opening of the National Museum by the new government would send a strong signal of intent.

I can’t tell people apart… I have met hundreds of Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. I can’t for the life of me tell who is who. They have almost all been warm and generous people, with a sense of humour. I was amazed to find the Peckham Pub in Banja Luka – a reflection of how popular British comedies like Only Fools and Horses or Monty Python are in BiH. People here can laugh together, so surely they can live together. Certainly, most ordinary people whom I have met, whatever their background, religion or culture, share the same hopes and dreams, for themselves and their children. They want what people all over the world want: security, jobs, justice, education and health.

… but some politicians are determined to divide. It was wonderful to see how communities such as those in Maglaj and Doboj came together to help each other after the floods. It was also striking how uncomfortable this made some politicians, who have built their positions upon division and mistrust. What has shocked me most is the willingness to infect the young with the same unfounded ethno-nationalist fears and fictions. By segregating children from each other, some schools are practising a form of apartheid. Last week, I met 200 children who had come from all over BiH to perform a dance together in Sarajevo. They seemed surprised to discover that the other children were just like them. It is essential to break down these barriers, so that the next generation does not inherit the prejudices of this one.

There is real potential in this country… OK, so let’s be realistic. This isn’t the next Qatar or Brazil. But you have natural beauty, plentiful water, timber and minerals and, most importantly, masses of human potential. All over the world, there are examples of successful Bosnians – although that in itself is a sign of the lack of opportunities at home. Nevertheless, businesses in BiH have shown what can be done – in Gorazde, Teslic and Sarajevo, to name a few. There are sufficient resources in this country that there should be enough for everyone to offer a reasonable quality of life for themselves, their children and grandchildren.

… but Government contributes little to economic success. Many of the most successful businesses in this country succeed despite, rather than because of, the system. The British Embassy has been working with the Association of Employers in the Federation, and with others, to identify concrete economic reforms that are needed after the election: to simplify the tax system, to cut labour costs, to reduce bureaucracy and to modernise the social security system. All this will create a better environment for economic growth and foreign investment, after years of financial mismanagement at all levels of government. The current economic situation throughout the country is deeply serious. Whoever is elected in October has a huge responsibility to get the economy moving forward.

The international community has made mistakes… The Dayton Peace Agreement stopped the terrible war of the 1990s. However, it also created a constitutional arrangement – albeit originally only intended to be temporary – which has contributed to BiH’s slow political, economic and social development since the war. It bequeathed a political system that has locked in ethnic divisions, and excluded minorities – essentially helping to keep the same, wartime parties in power, while discriminating against those who might offer a unifying vision for the whole of BiH. The international community has to recognise that we have contributed to the challenges this country faces.

… but that’s no excuse. The system can be changed, by constitutional means, if Serb, Bosniak and Croat political leaders are willing to change it. The problem is that the situation suits them. It allows them to offer jobs to their supporters within what is probably the world’s most excessive bureaucracy, who in turn vote them back into office. And meanwhile the public have failed to hold politicians and parties to account when they fail to deliver. Despite the predictions of a low turnout in the General Election this month, I know that people in this country are not apathetic about politics. But many struggle to find parties and policy platforms which they can support. Nevertheless, people have to register their vote for change. It is still possible to reform this country for the better, and to fulfil its potential. Remember: if you don’t vote, then you voted for the winner.

17 comments on “Contemplations of a new arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  1. I have been coming to Bosnia since being a young child, as my father originated from here. He moved to the UK just after the second world war and married my mother, who is English. I was born there, but fell in love with Bosnia from my first visit. At the age of 50, myself and my partner made the decision to move here and have not looked back. Yes, the bureaucracy is ludicrous and we have found out for ourselves how poor the health system can be when my partner was taken into hospital in Livno with heart problems (eventually he was taken to Split where everything was sorted out thankfully), but what makes up for all of that is the beauty of the country and the people. We have never felt so much a part of a community in all the time we lived in England as we do here. We live in Glamoc, which is only 28km from Livno, but the difference in money spent on infrastructure and the repair of war destroyed buildings is immense. You would be hard pushed to know that there had been such destruction in Livno, but here in Glamoc it is impossible to miss. How can there be such a difference within the same Canton and what needs to be done to rectify this? I do not know. Maybe you are able to shed some light on this?

  2. I am a Canadian ESL teacher who is now teaching in China. I want to be of help. If English Communication is deemed an important skill among Bosnians, I would like to help.

  3. Thank you Ahmed. I explored a bit of the area around Banja Luka when I spent two weeks there for language training – it’s stunning! I’ll certainly aim to visit Kozarac.

    I am extremely keen to increase bilateral trade between the UK and BiH. A number of your suggestions to improve the business climate are included in this year’s Compact for Growth and Jobs which we hope to see taking a central position in the agenda of the incoming government. There are presently around 100 members of the British Business Club in BiH – I’d love to see this grow.

  4. I am looking forward with great interest to my first visit to BiH next week where I can see for myself what the country and people are like. Only a fleeting visit I am afraid but we will travel right across the country from North to South and stay in Sarajevo and Mostar. Looking forward to meeting you with our group when we are in Sarajevo.

  5. Sir,

    I have been coming to BiH since 1994 with the Army and i have served more than 4 tours of this country. I have just retired from the British Army and moved here with my wife to Banja Luka. Life here is very good especially if you come from the UK. The housingis cheap, the people are so friendly, i compare them to us Scottish folks with their hospitality in many respects.

    I feel for them though, the corruption here in Republic of Srpska is a disgrace. My wife was in hospital just a month ago after the loss of our baby and the hospital had to enduce labour. The doctor came to us and asked us to telephone local pharmacies for the enduction injections. I thought to myself that this must be a joke?? None of the pharmacies had the injections, infact there was none in RS supposedly. I had to drive from Banja Luka to Croatia to get the enduction injections. Typical of the injustice which is happening to these poor people through the hands of the greedy.

    Once the story reached the news, the hospital myseriously produced the drugs. I have to say the Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff are extremely helpful and competant, but they have to deal with the hand the government here gives them.

    I pray to god that Mr Tadic wins this election and hold those to account for their exacberated wealth, especially when they are in public office. I pray only for good things for BiH and especially for RS. This is a country which has been demonised throughout the media, but what little people in the West know is the potential and resolve of the Bosnian people. This country is rich in minerals and natural resources and i hope it is put to use for the good of the population.

    Like Mark Dakin, i am resident in BL and trying to encourage more to be done here.

  6. re comment- Pardon the slip deleted end of sentence 2nd para: ‘only entrenches the divisions.’

  7. As a visitor to BiH for nearly 40 years I am continually saddened by the ongoing slow destruction of this country and corresponding effect upon its people. They are resilient, resourceful and poetic and deserve better than history has allowed.
    It may be a worn out statement but the leaders’ refusal to put the people second, the children first and the need to homogenise everything a distant last.
    Perhaps an amendment to the Dayton accord ( as it is largely an administrative document then a sub clause squeezed into one of the preambles is almost SOP) that those holding public office, no matter elected or selected, must enter into a productivity agreement whereby they are measured according to verifiable advancement in social and economic cohesion. Without such then … next please.

    1. Thank you Earle. Perhaps a little more realistically, I very much hope that the formation of the incoming government will be around a substantive policy agenda, rather than simply an argument over who or which parties get what jobs. Agreement up front on a policy agenda, ideally with timelines attached, might be one way of bridging the gap between some of the parties in the coalition negotiations, and would serve a dual purpose in allowing the electorate to judge the government’s performance in future. As a sign of the challenges facing the incoming government, a recent Gallup study shows that the last BiH government had the lowest public approval rating in the world (8%), while in tied 2nd place for perceptions of corruption (91%). More transparency and accountability – but, above all, concrete results – would help to tackle this.

  8. Excellent evaluation of the beauty, the potential and the barriers in Bosnia Herzegovina. Where there is a will there is a way forward.

    1. Thanks very much Senada. I hope to see a deluge of political will the other side of the elections! And for our part, we’ll do what we can to offer useful support in finding the way.

  9. Your Excellency, We extend hearty congratulations on the excellent article.
    We agree to proceed with the statement, quote: If you don’t vote, then you voted for the winner!
    The quoted sentence is the meaning of elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    Vote for change or leave the corrupt politicians and those who support criminals who committed genocide, to lead the State of Bosnia and all people in disaster.

  10. H.E
    Sir, If you are ever up here in Banja Luka……
    Served under your father in Wimbish……

  11. Interesting blog. I am based in London married to a Bosnian. We go back a couple of times a year to banja Luka. Would love the situation to change but all I hear are the youngsters planning their exit.

    I love the warmth of the people but still see the same problems. Huge unemployment, police wanting to give you a ticket for nothing or changing their minds when money is exchanged.

    I am also frustrated that we cannot get my wife’s family over to uk without having to go to Sarajevo. This is difficult to happen due to their lack of transport facilities and their is no online applications? I mean come on, I thought banja Luka is the second city?

    What do you see as the your objectives to achieve for the next 12 months ?

    1. Thanks very much for your response. As you say, I’ve met many young people who are planning to leave, which is a great shame. I gather that BiH has the second highest rate of exodus amongst young people in Europe (after Ireland), and it can’t afford to lose this talent. I’m pleased with the increase focus of the international community on socio-economic reforms, particularly focused on creating opportunites for young people. As the EU Special Representative said yesterday, it’s all about jobs, jobs, jobs.

      I’m sorry about your frustration with the visa system. I’m afraid it’s a simple matter of scaling the system to the funds available, while also reflecting the level of demand for visas in BiH, which in relative terms is quite low. You can actually apply online, but you have to attend in person for biometrics, and we can’t afford to send people outside Sarajevo, and it wouldn’t be justified by the demand.

      My focus over the next 12 months will very much be on trying to influence and support the rapid formation of a new government, and the early delivery of some important initiatives within an ambitious political and economic reform agenda. Lots of other things too: from delivering a broad range of projects across the spectrum of security, justice and anti-corruption, and supporting British business. Plus improving my Bosnian language skills, and exploring more of this beautiful country.

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