Visegrad four in Bosnia-Herzegovina: State-building and EU approximation from a Central European perspective

Abstract

This article analyses the approximation of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the European Union (EU) from a Central European perspective, with a focus on the role of the Visegrad Four (V4) states in this process. The article sets out with two strategies of state-building exercised by the West in the aftermath of the Dayton Peace Treaty – a ‘hands-on’ and ‘hands-off’ (or ownership) strategy. It analyses the position of the Visegrad states towards these strategies. The text mainly explains the overall engagement of V4 in the context of EU enlargement policies. The article asks to what extent the four partners cooperate with each other and with likely regional partners Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria. The positions of the Central European states are informed by qualitative interviews with stakeholders and research literature on external governance in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is concluded that the V4’s engagement is limited due to small budget commitments and to a signifi cant overlap of V4 positions with the positions of more active European partners.