Overview
- Schmidt, who oversees Bosnia’s post‑war order, announced Monday he will step down and remain in office until a successor is chosen, with plans to leave in June.
- In a report he prepared in New York for the UN Security Council, he warned of a creeping dismantling of the state and said Bosnia’s territorial integrity is being challenged by Republika Srpska leaders.
- Multiple outlets report his decision followed sustained pressure from Washington, alongside a policy shift that lifted U.S. sanctions on Milorad Dodik and reporting on Trump‑linked investors pursuing a Croatia‑to‑Bosnia gas pipeline and power projects.
- At a UN session Tuesday, Russia called for the immediate closure of the High Representative’s office, while the United States thanked Schmidt and said any successor must have broad trust, noting it could put forward its own candidates.
- The Office of the High Representative, created by the 1995 Dayton Agreement with powers to change laws and remove officials, now awaits a successor picked by the Peace Implementation Council, a choice viewed as crucial with Bosnia’s elections due in the fall.