SARAJEVO – The 2026 Declaration of the European People’s Party (EPP) on Bosnia and Herzegovina, signed in Sarajevo on Monday, was described as a significant political document reaffirming commitment to the country’s European path, the rule of law, and the implementation of rulings issued by domestic and international courts.
The signatories jointly stressed that the declaration should serve as a foundation for strengthening political cooperation and stability in the country, while also ensuring that its commitments do not remain merely ” a dead letter”.
The declaration was signed by EPP President Manfred Weber, SDA President Bakir Izetbegović, and HDZ BiH President Dragan Čović.
EPP President Manfred Weber said that the declaration reflects the core values upheld by the EPP and includes three key chapters concerning the future: identity and diversity, the social market economy as the fundamental principle of economic organization, and the rule of law as the cornerstone of functioning society.
According to N1.ba, Weber emphasized that the joining signature demonstrate the political will to take necessary steps together, particularly in the context of the upcoming elections, during which political parties will compete in campaigns while maintaining a shared vision and commitment to the country’s future direction.
Speaking about the current political moment, Weber said that circumstances are changing fundamentally and that there is a renewed momentum and opportunity for EU enlargement to become a reality, particularly for Montenegro, but also for other countries in the region.
He added that this means Bosnia and Herzegovina must accelerate its reform efforts, demonstrate readiness to implement them, embrace European standards, and ultimately join the EU on the basis of jointly agreed principles.
One of the declaration’s signatories, Bakir Izetbegović, noted that the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which he leads, has long been part of the EPP family and feels treated as an equal partner within it.
Speaking about identity and the role of Bosniaks in the European context, he stressed that Bosniaks, alongside other Muslim peoples, are an indigenous European nation.
“The signed declaration, among other things, highlights not only the European path but also our shared concern over the continuous attacks on the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton constitutional order. It reaffirms unequivocal respect for the Constitution as the highest legal act of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for the rule of law and an independent judiciary,” Izetbegović said, N1.ba reports.
He added that the signatories condemn all unconstitutional or radical actions that depart from the constitutional and legal framework.
President of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), Dragan Čović, said that the discussion should focus exclusively on positive and constructive messages, arguing that this is the only way to strengthen the conviction that the European path is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only viable option, despite the differences that, in his view, constitute the country’s richness.
He expressed confidence that all political actors would contribute in the coming period, despite being engaged in an election campaign, to resolving existing disagreements so that they do not become a burden for future generations.
Sarajevo is hosting the two-day conference, “EPP EU-Enlargement Study Visit & Conference: EPP Family in the Western Balkans Region”, during which the declaration was signed. The conference focuses on the EU’s enlargement process and the role of the EPP political family in advancing the EU integration of countries across the region.
Among the international participants attending the conference are Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Andrej Plenković, Milojko Spajić, Reinhold Lopatka, Ervin Ibrahimović, Timčo Mucunski, Ana Brnabić and Sali Berisha.
