Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina was formed in 1994 as a Bosnian-Croatian federation. In the wake of the Dayton Agreement, which was signed in November 1995, a peace process was initiated in the Balkans which eventually brought a three-year conflict among the ethnicities to an end.
Population: 4.62 million
Area: 51 197 km2
GDP (PPP): 30,44 billion dollar (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita (PPP): 6 600 $ (2010 estimate)
Rate of growth: 0,7 % (2010 estimate)
Head of state: Nebojsa Radmanovic, Zeljko Komsic, Bakir Izetbegovic (rotating)
Head of government: Nikola Spiric
A multi-ethnic, democratically elected government was formed with responsibility for foreign policy as well as economic and fiscal policy. Domestic policy is set on a lower level, with two governing entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. The EU is conducting a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 7000 troops are stationed there.
Respect for democratic principles and understanding of democratic values is not sufficiently wide-spread. Nor is the situation in terms of human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to convene and freedom of opinion satisfactory.
On the 1st of October 2006 national and regional elections were held. These were the first elections since the Dayton Agreement conducted entirely by the national administration and there were no major incidents. In Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a presidential cabinet with three members – one Serb, one Croat and one Bosnian – and the presidency rotates between them. The most powerful political institution, however, is the office of the High Representative (OHR). This institution was created by means of the Dayton Agreement and its first occupant was Carl Bildt. Today, the OHR is being dismantled in favor of a more traditional structure of government.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the poorest countries in the Balkans and the economy is developing at a sluggish rate. The underground economy is relatively large. Official unemployment rates are high, but obviously these figures represent a lot of people who make their living in the underground economy.
The Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation cooperates with Partija demokratskog progresa (PDP) and Stranka Demokratske Akcije (SDA). PDP was founded in 1999 and is of a conservative/liberal orientation. It has been a member of several governments and is based in Republika Srpska. PDP has been a long-term partner of the Foundation and considerable development has been witnessed over the years. SDA is a Bosnian party with a centre-right alignment. SDA is currently forming the government in Bosnia due to becoming the largest party by a narrow margin in the latest parliamentary elections.
The Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation is involved in three principal projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first project concerns the creation and development of democratic party structures and it involves knowledge transfer in terms of developing political organisations and policy. There is also a special emphasis on women and youths. In Republika Srpska, for instance, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation is conducting an educational program for female politicians. The aim is to provide the participants with the means to advance within the PDP.
The second project aims to encourage the Balkan States to strive for EU-membership. This is an arduous process and there are plenty of opportunities for the Balkan States to discuss problems and solutions. One such international forum is provided by the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation.
The third project concerns minorities. Stability in the region hinges on the relations between majority and minority groups. A certain degree of distrust remains among different ethnic groups and it contributes to unnecessary tensions within and between the Balkan States.
