Christian Schmidt (CSU) has announced his resignation as the High Representative for the community of states in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Schmidt initially revealed his decision on Sunday, as reported by the FAZ, and plans to officially announce the news on Tuesday during his semi-annual report to the UN Security Council in New York.
The notification, issued by the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Sarajevo, stated that the former German Minister of Agriculture had “personally decided to end his service for the implementation of the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. The OHR has been responsible for overseeing the Bosnian peace process since the end of the war in 1995. Schmidt informed the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) that he had requested that the body initiate the search for his successor. The PIC represents 55 states and organizations, notably including the United States and many EU member states.
Schmidt clarified that he would continue in his role until a replacement was found. This statement has been interpreted as a rebuke aimed at the United States, which, according to sources, has been working behind the scenes for months to have him removed and has reportedly already chosen a successor. However, Schmidt pointed out that the US cannot make unilateral decisions within the Peace Implementation Council, even theoretically. Addressing persistent doubts about the need for the post, Schmidt stated that while he had hoped to be the last High Representative in Bosnia, the office remains “indispensable” given that Bosnia still has critical reforms to implement.
Alternatively, Wolfgang Petritsch, an Austrian diplomat and former EU lead negotiator for the Balkans and one of Schmidt’s predecessors, disputed the continued necessity of the position. Petritsch argued that more than three decades after the war, there is no longer any reason to maintain an office originally conceived solely as a transitional measure. He contended that the remaining reforms could instead be completed as part of the Bosnian EU accession negotiations.