The roadblock preventing Bosnia and
Herzegovina's progress to Europe will
remain in place unless citizens make their
representatives move it out of the way,
the High Representative and EU Special
Representative, Valentin Inzko, told a
conference of civil society activists.
"The last four years have shown that -
on their own - BiH politicians cannot
or will not do this job," the HR/EUSR
said, and he called on NGOs to be
more active in this regard.
"As the EU reform process has stalled,
poverty and unemployment have rocketed,"
the HR/EUSR said.
"The campaign ahead of the October
elections should focus on such questions.
Why have EU-integration
reforms that will improve living standards
not been implemented? And how
are candidates planning to deal with
them in the period to come?"
Arguing that "it is clear today that Bosnia
and Herzegovina needs much improved
politics," the HR/EUSR said that citizens
and NGOs are not being "pushy" enough
to press for this improvement. He said the
roadblock to EU integration would only
be pushed out of the way "if citizens take
charge" and he called on NGOs to help
"make candidates for office properly
accountable to the electorate.".