Key facts
- The US and European nations are in conflict over the selection of a new high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- A meeting in Sarajevo to resolve the dispute ended without a compromise.
- The current high representative, Christian Schmidt, will depart immediately as demanded by the US.
- The US is advocating for Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi to succeed Schmidt.
- European officials suspect the US interest is tied to a $1 billion gas pipeline contract awarded to a US firm with connections to Donald Trump.
- The pipeline deal was awarded without a tender, raising concerns from the EU about Bosnia's European integration.
The United States and European nations are engaged in a significant diplomatic dispute over the appointment of the next high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a post with extensive powers overseeing the country's post-war administration. A recent meeting in Sarajevo aimed at resolving this disagreement concluded without a compromise, highlighting a transatlantic rift.
As part of a compromise, the current high representative, Christian Schmidt, agreed to step down immediately, a demand strongly pushed by the U.S. His deputy, U.S. diplomat Louis Crishock, will serve in an acting capacity for two weeks while a successor is sought. However, the U.S. has not yet succeeded in getting its preferred candidate, Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi, appointed. Landi, who has limited direct experience with Bosnia, is seen by European officials as potentially advancing U.S. interests, particularly concerning a $1 billion gas pipeline contract awarded to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a U.S. company with ties to Donald Trump.
This pipeline deal, awarded without a tender, has drawn criticism from the European Union, which warned it could jeopardize Bosnia's long-term integration into Europe. The U.S. administration, under what is described as the "second Trump administration," has shifted its policy in the Balkans to prioritize direct returns for American companies over institution-building. This approach has been criticized for potentially undermining the peace established by the 1992-95 war.
European powers, including Germany and France, have expressed reservations about Landi, with Germany proposing a Danish diplomat, Peter Sørensen, as an alternative. The U.S. had previously insisted on Schmidt's removal after he defied U.S. wishes, and later reneged on an understanding to keep him until Bosnian elections. The U.S. lifting of sanctions on Milorad Dodik, a separatist leader in Republika Srpska, and Dodik's subsequent approval of the pipeline further complicate the situation, underscoring the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region.