Republika Srpska Is A ‘Debatable’ State That Needs To Be Sorted Out, Says Serbia’s Heir To The Karađorđević Throne
The Karađorđević heir to the kings of all Serbs has declared Republika Srpska as a ‘debatable’ state that needs to be sorted out. In an interview with W!LD RooSTeR when he spoke optimistically about Serbia’s future ambitions as a member of the European Union, Crown Prince Alexander II said discussions are needed with Serbia’s partners to determine the stability and future of the Bosnian-Serb political entity.
“It is a state that is debatable, a protectorate of the European Union,’ he said. “One really wonders about them, and we have to sort that out. Maybe being a member of the European Union we can put our view in on how the shape should take place with our partners. Our partners are now going to be Croatia and others members of the European Union.”
Under the Deyton Peace Agreement, signed in winter 1995, Republka Srpska was recognised as one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation. It also defined the division of government functions and powers. Although Bosnia’s constitution names Sarajevo as the capital of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka is the de facto capital, playing home to its parliament and most of the government offices.
National feelings have always been strong in Republika Srpska, where Serbian flags fly and t.shirts are freely on sale featuring images of former president Radovan Karadzic and Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic – both of whom stand trial in The Hague on charges including genocide and war crimes. That same UN tribunal has already judged many of Republika Srpska’s leadership guilty of war crimes and ethnic cleansing within Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War.
The recent arrest of Ratko Mladic has greatly increased temperatures within the Serb-dominated entity, with variations on the theme of ‘Mladic is a Hero’ graffiti scrawled on walls all over Banja Luka and other Republika Srpska towns.
“I sympathise with the people of Banja Luka and of Republika Srpska, who have been through a very rough time,’ said Crown Prince Alexander. “Of course they have strong feelings. They were in the middle of it. They lived through the madness years and they are still suffering from the lack of this and that. But on the other hand, everybody’s been through a rough time because the leadership has not been as golden as it should be. They have tried to move ahead and investment has come in but not that much. It’s hard for them.”
While Serbia has natural links with Republika Srpska, Serbia’s President Boris Tadic has been increasingly vocal in his public support for maintaining Bosnia’s territorial integrity and opposing any rallying cries of secession coming from his Banja Lukan counterpart, Milorad Dodik. Tadic has even called for EU membership for Bosnia, recognising the importance of the stability of the Dayton Agreement if Serbia is to advance down the European path apparently favoured by Tadic.
7 / 16 / 2011 5:57 pm
Who cares what Karadjordjevic thinks? Everyone has opinions, but they’re not newsworthy.
8 / 11 / 2011 7:50 am
Except that he is a monarch with a firm grasp of politics. To ignore an expert in the field is ignorance.