When Brussels and NATO interpret Dayton, it sounds like they’re quoting an essay collection on Bosnia — written in Helsinki

EU and NATO are, according to Boris Ruge, “fully aligned” in their support for a stable Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And indeed, they are.
Fully aligned — in misinterpreting Bosnia’s constitutional order.

Because if you ask Dayton, Bosnia’s constitutional structure looks like this:

• Two entities with the right to veto on vital national interests.

• Three constituent peoples, each with the right to equal representation.

• The High Representative who “oversees” implementation of the agreement, not legislates over it.

• And a state that doesn’t dominate the entities, but exists together with them.

But if you ask the EU and NATO, Bosnia’s constitutional order looks like it was drafted during a coffee break at a “Western Balkans 2030” panel:

• One entity is bad, the other is “less bad”.

• One people are problematic, the other “peaceful”, and the third — should be quiet.

• The High Representative is Gandalf.

• And “constituent peoples” is a translation error.

When Kaja Kallas stands in Sarajevo and says “undermining the constitutional order”, she’s not referring to what’s written in Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
She’s referencing what she was told during her flight from Tallinn — or, more likely, a non-paper drafted by interns who think BiH consists of burek and Srebrenica.

In that narrative, “undermining the constitutional order” means: – When someone from Republika Srpska says they won’t recognize a Schmidt decision because the Constitution allows them to do so
– When someone from HNS says they demand legitimate representation because the Constitution guarantees it
– Or when an entity demands its own competencies because they were never legally taken away, just silently absorbed

On the other hand, imposing laws, redefining jurisdiction, bypassing local procedures, ignoring domestic courts, and turning the OHR into a legislative body — that’s not undermining. That’s “stabilization.”

So, according to the EU and NATO:

• The Constitution is whatever Schmidt says it is.

• And Bosnia is whatever Brussels wants it to become — without asking Dayton whether it’s okay with that.

So Kallas’ statement was predictable.
And Ruge’s “fully aligned” basically means:

“We’re aligned in not giving a damn about what the actual constitutional order of BiH is. We know what Bosnia should become. And it’s not what’s written on paper.”

Strong statement by #EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in Sarajevo today condemning attempts to undermine the constitutional order of Bosnia-Herzegovina and highlighting recent actions of Republika Srpska. EU & #NATO are fully aligned in their support for a stable #BiH 🇧🇦🇪🇺 https://t.co/EIZcCADMBj

— Boris Ruge (@RugeBoris) April 8, 2025