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Autonomy of the #Serb Republic crucial for Europe

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General elections will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 7 October 2018, for the renewal of the national presidency and House of Representatives, an important date for both national and regional stability. On 28 September, President Milorad Dodik greeted an international delegation of current and former parliamentarians and political figures from Belgium, Austria and Italy at the presidential palace in Banja Luka.

President Dodik expressed concerns about the current state of the Serb Republic within the federal entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting some frictions between the two institutions. The Federation has recently tended to centralize power in Sarajevo, disavowing the relationship of equality established both within International Treaties and the Bosnian Constitution for a joint administration of the federal state, whilst the Croat Muslim constituents are trying to overbear the Serb constituents. The president made clear that the Serb Republic advocates only for the due respect of its prerogatives for the benefit of all. Dodik has also recounted the suffering of the Serbian people during the conflict of the early 90s, being the target of persecution and ill treatment. Some Serbs were also decapitated by the Muslims during the war: nonetheless, of the more than 4,500 Muslims who committed terrible crimes against humanity, none of them was persecuted, nor did a single international media report about it. "We don't advocate for any difference between citizens; we only want our rights and our lawful autonomy to be respected," said the leader of the Serb Republic. "We ask that no more foreign Judges be part of our Supreme Court: there's no need for it after so many years since the end of the conflict. We will ensure that Europe will be informed of our reality."

Government sources claimed that both the United States and the United Kingdom have heavily contributed to the electoral campaigns of the president's political rivals, as to make him lose and remove the so-called "bad" Russian influence from the Country. The president has also described the relationship with the Trump Administration as excellent, regardless of the attempts by some previously appointed public officials to undermine it. He also added that 85% of the US Serbs voted for President Trump in the latest presidential elections.

US officials would like to remove the concept of alternation between Serbs and Croat Muslims to the Presidency of the Federation, which is granted by the Constitution and International Treaties. This is unacceptable for the Serbian people, and we are paying the price for refusing to embrace this idea. The president concluded the meeting by thanking his guests and stating that the Serbs will never give up on their police force, their language, the name of their Republic and the enforcement of the Constitution. He ended by saying that the Serb Republic is - and will continue to be - the historical last line of defence against the Islamic invasion of the European continent, and today against the immigration towards the EU.

Following the meeting foreign representatives held a press conference by the Bosna Hotel in Banja Luka.

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Former Austrian MP Johannes Hubner (FPO) declared that he had "the impression that unacceptable violations of the Constitution are being carried out in Bosnia Herzegovina and that Democracy means respecting the will of the people. If the EU institutions will continue to contest anyone who is chosen by the People in Europe and in the world, they would utterly break up with the citizens."

Along the same lines was the speech by belgian Senator and Flemish Parliament MP Frank Creyelman (Fiandria), who said: "We Flemish have so much in common with the Serb Republic, we fight for our autonomy. You Serbs have the great merit of having protected Europe from the Islamic invasion, and now of limiting immigration. Best wishes for your next elections."

Slovenian MP Zmago Jelincic Plemeniti has also said: "The Serb Republic is a state whose autonomy and must be guaranteed by the EU and US in particular. Considering European culture and its proximity, I would find it incredible if the EU were to support the Muslims instead. The Serb Republic has the utmost support from me and my party."

Former italian Senator Antonio Razzi began by stating how Europe will be able to continue to work only by changing into the United States of Europe. He also thanked President Dodik for the meeting, expressing the opinion that the development of the Serb Republic is due to the many years guidance of his President, who has always led it with the interests of his people in mind. He concluded by wishing the citizens the best for the upcoming elections, and - citing a famous italian saying - "You know the old way, but you don't know the new one and where it will lead you," hoping for the re-election of Dodik.

The last speech was by former secretary ofstate under the Berlusconi admnistration, Luca Bellotti, stating that he understood the delicate position of Bosnia Herzegovina inside the European picture, thanks to President Dodik's words. Bellotti thinks that the Union still has many problems with Italy and other EU countries, and that meeting such as the one with the Serb Republic and other similarly small but strategic realities are pivotal for the stabilization efforts in the Region and in Europe. "Thanks to this meeting, I will bring back home the message of the yearning for peace, stability and development that I found here," said Bellotti, wishing the Serb community all the best for the upcoming elections.

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