Balkan tensions rise as EU faces criticism over Bosnia deadlock and Serbian commentator denounces Bosnia, Croatia

Serbian international‑relations expert Lučiano Kaluža charged the European Union with being the main reason Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot resolve its institutional problems, saying the EU has turned the country into a pawn in its wider dispute with the United States. He noted that the EU’s indirect actions led to the appointment of an American interim High Representative, underscoring a conflict between the EU and the US over Bosnia’s future.

In parallel, Bosnian journalist Dragan Bursać condemned Serbian sports commentator Dejan Anđus after the latter publicly declared he “roots against” Bosnia and Croatia during World Cup qualifying coverage. Bursać described Anđus’s statements as a display of national intolerance and pathological hatred, arguing that such rhetoric fuels regional animosities rather than sportsmanship.

Both incidents highlight rising nationalist sentiments and criticism of external influence in the Balkans, with the EU’s role in Bosnia’s governance and incendiary remarks from a Serbian media figure drawing sharp rebuke.