Bosnia‑Herzegovina high representative appointment stalls amid US‑EU clash

The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains without a successor after Christian Schmidt resigned in May. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) board, which oversees the OHR, has failed to reach consensus on a new high representative.

U.S. and Italian officials support Antonio Zanardi Landi, an Italian‑American candidate, but key European members question his acceptability. Japan’s ambassador Tošihiro Aiki said Japan “considers it important that the next high representative works based on the broadest possible support among PIC members, preserving the authority and mandate that have existed so far.” Germany’s foreign ministry spokesperson stressed that “it remains crucial to appoint a European expert for the region and country.” Italy and other EU states echo the need for broad backing.

A PIC meeting held on 3‑4 June in Sarajevo failed to produce a decision, prompting plans for another session by the end of June to continue consultations and achieve a consensus before a hand‑over can take place.