The end of an odyssey in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The police reform smoothes the way to a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU but fails to end stagnation

When a considerably modified version of the police reform crossed the final hurdle in the upper house of the parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 16 April 2008, officials not only in Sarajevo but in Brussels as well breathed a sigh of relief. The road to signing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) was finally clear, bringing an end to an odyssey that had lasted years. Yet the wrangling over the police reform was really just a symptom of the structural deficits that continue to prevent a progressive dynamic developing in the country, each of which reveals a dilemma that hampers the involved parties' ability to act: First of all there is the 'dysfunctionality of Dayton', a derogatory term used to denounce the complex constitutional structure and the lack of willingness by elites in Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in political reform. Thus, although desirable, a reform of the constitution is not realisable in the short term. Second, in recent years the international community, in particular the High Representative and the European Union, have acted in ways that have proved to be counterproductive. So while external actors continue to be the most important engine of reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, their presence at the same time is an obstacle to further democratisation