http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/File ... nal-reformBosnia and Herzegovina’s system of government has reached breaking point and the country’s path to Europe-an Union (EU) membership is blocked. The constitution requires that the posts in two key institutions, the three-member presidency and the parliamentary House of Peo-ples, be equally divided among Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in 2009 this violates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by restricting others’ access. The European court’s ruling has exposed long-buried contradictions in Bosnia’s constitutional architecture, which have become more acute since the 31 May 2012 collapse of the govern-ment coalition. Bosnian politicians need to reform their constitution but reopening the Dayton Agreement will re-quire more than a quick fix. The EU should not make im-plementing the ECtHR decision a prerequisite for a credible membership application if it seeks thorough comprehensive reform to put the country on a firm footing.
