SIMOVIĆ: SARAJEVO HOPING FOR ORBÁN AND TRUMP'S FALL AS A PATH TO WEAKENING SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 11 /SRNA/ – Part of the Bosniak political elite in Sarajevo hopes for the fall of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the upcoming elections and for the failure of Republican Donald Trump in the U.S. elections as a way to weaken Republika Srpska, its diplomatic potential and international standing, Vlade Simović, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Banja Luka, told SRNA.

"This is a very simple policy - the more Republika Srpska loses friends and partners, both in the United States and Hungary, the easier it will be for that part of the Bosniak political elite that advocates abolishing Republika Srpska to achieve its goal, which is the centralization of BiH," Simović emphasized. He recalled that the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán is specific in terms of its relations with the Serb people, as his rule has been marked by an exceptionally positive and benevolent attitude toward the Serb space in general. Simović pointed to Orbán's positive stance toward the Serb people, noting that during the 1990s he refused to allow Hungary to be used as a base from which NATO would launch aggression against Serbia. "How benevolent that relationship is can be seen in the political, economic, and security cooperation between Serbia and Hungary, as well as in the economic and political cooperation between Hungary and Republika Srpska," Simović said. He stressed that part of the Bosniak elite in Sarajevo does not favour policies that respect the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Constitution of BiH, and the competences held by Republika Srpska, and that for years they have been convincing their electorate that they will implement policies leading to the abolition of Republika Srpska. "That is why it does not suit them when Republika Srpska establishes good contacts and diplomatic ties with some powerful, strong, and respected in our region, which Hungary certainly is," Simović noted. On the other hand, Simović said, that same circle of political elites in Sarajevo is also displeased by the fact that the current leadership in Republika Srpska has managed to find a channel of communication with the new U.S. administration, as seen in the example of the lifting of sanctions against the SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik. "That is something that bothers those in Sarajevo who convince their voters that Republika Srpska will be abolished or reduced to a `measure acceptable to them,`" Simović said.