To date, the U.S. and the EU have based their policy toward Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on a fantastical premise: that irrational governance modalities can produce rational outcomes. In this policy report, Dr. Jasmin Mujanović explains that BiH is to have a credible chance at EU and NATO membership – the stated aim of leaders in Sarajevo, Washington, and Brussels – the country must be able produce its own reform initiatives and rational governance outcomes. For that to be plausible, however, it must have a rational constitutional regime and accountable governance mechanisms; that requires constitutional reform, which may be limited in scope but must be substantive in its impact.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not an official policy or position of the New Lines Institute.