PRISTINA – Bosnia and Herzegovina risks becoming the latest flashpoint in transatlantic tensions as the EU and the US clash over who should oversee the country’s fragile post-war order, raising fresh questions about Western unity in the Western Balkans.

The Peace Implementation Council (PIC), which supervises the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, is expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss a successor to High Representative Christian Schmidt, according to local media.

Schmidt announced his resignation in May, reportedly after coming under pressure from Washington, but has remained in office pending the appointment of a successor. The appointment comes as Brussels and Washington increasingly diverge over the future of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the international body overseeing Bosnia’s post-war constitutional order.

Under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia was divided into the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Serb-majority Republika Srpska, linked by a weak central government and a power-sharing system between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. The OHR was created to enforce that settlement and prevent renewed conflict, but has remained in place for three decades despite being conceived as a temporary institution.

The US and Italy are backing Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi for the role, while several EU member states are reportedly supporting French diplomat René Troccaz, whom they see as more closely aligned with Bosnia’s EU accession path.

The dispute reflects a broader disagreement over the future of international oversight in Bosnia. Washington is pushing for a significantly reduced role for the OHR, while the EU maintains that the conditions for winding down the institution have not yet been met.

The Trump administration has also reshaped US policy towards Bosnia, adopting a more transactional approach focused on infrastructure, energy and mining projects. Several companies linked to Trump allies have pursued contracts for LNG pipelines, highways and mineral extraction, prompting questions over their capacity to deliver.

Last October, Washington also lifted sanctions on the former president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and members of his family. Dodik, who maintains close ties with Moscow and with Hungary’s former pro-Russian leader Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly threatened to have Republika Srpska declare independence from the rest of the country. He has also hosted Donald Trump Jr. in Banja Luka, the economic and political centre of Republika Srpska.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos called on Europe to unite behind “a candidate for the next High Representative who will put Bosnia and Herzegovina first.”

Separately, EU Ambassador Luigi Soreca warned Bosnian authorities that future pipeline projects must comply with EU procurement rules or risk jeopardising more than €1 billion in EU funding.

The US Embassy in Sarajevo has meanwhile warned it could “reconsider” Washington’s role in Bosnia if its position is ignored.

Even if the PIC agrees on a candidate, the appointment could still reignite controversy at the UN Security Council. Schmidt never secured formal Security Council approval, allowing Republika Srpska, Russia and China to continue challenging the legitimacy of his mandate.

(cs, cm)