Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is calling on the European Union to move Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the front of the queue, warning that dragging feet in Brussels could open the door for rival powers like Russia and China to expand their footprint in the Western Balkans.
Speaking to Euronews, Plenković made it crystal clear: Croatia is all in on Bosnia’s EU bid. But he’s also sounding the alarm over Bosnia’s fragile political landscape and what he sees as a dangerous geopolitical vacuum. “Bosnia and Herzegovina is not just another country on the map—it’s our neighbor, and Croats are a key part of its fabric,” Plenković emphasized. “It’s in everyone’s interest to bring Bosnia along with the rest of the region.”
Bosnia’s journey toward EU membership has been a long and rocky road. Its post-war governance structure, shaped by the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995, splits the country between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, with a national government in Sarajevo attempting to hold things together. That political complexity has often slowed reforms—and progress.
Plenković, however, insists the EU must act with urgency. “The longer we delay,” he warned, “the more we risk losing ground to players like Russia and China.” He’s pushing for Bosnia’s EU status—and broader enlargement strategy—to top the agenda when EU leaders meet in June.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is also casting its gaze eastward. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos hinted that Georgia’s EU candidacy and free trade relationship might soon be up for review—another sign that the race for influence in Europe’s periphery is heating up.
With rising global tensions and regional instability looming, Plenković’s message couldn’t be clearer: the time for hand-wringing is over. The EU needs to pick up the pace—or risk being outplayed.
