Bosnia can become a "second Switzerland" because it has a gigantic potential of young and well-educated people, as well as a strategic location in the Balkans. To this end, however, the Bosnian authorities should pay more attention to their large diaspora, writes "Berliner Zeitung".
According to UN data, over 30% of Bosnians live outside the country. Most of them emigrated as a result of the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s, and today it is estimated that the diaspora includes over 2 million people.
These people, although living abroad, carry their birthplace in their hearts. However, how strong is this connection with the old homeland, asks the author of the article Erdin Kadunić. Kadunić is a political scientist, and on his page "Balkan Translator" on TikTok he explains life in Germany to newly arrived immigrants from the Balkans.
Emigrants bring billions into the country every year
Bosnians living abroad also make a huge contribution to the economy of their country, which would seem significantly more unstable without them. The German publication cites data from the World Bank, according to which remittances from the diaspora generate nearly 10% of the country's GDP.
For many Bosnian families, this is a vital factor. In 2024 alone, 1.94 billion euros were transferred to Bosnia and Herzegovina from abroad - an increase of 100 million euros compared to 2023.
However, the medal has two sides, the publication comments: "Remittances guarantee the survival of many people, but permanent financial support also creates a certain lethargy among young Bosnians, who rely on relatives abroad instead of demonstrating activity in the labor market themselves".
Politicians in Sarajevo do not hear the voice of Bosnians abroad
On top of all this, the voice of the Bosnian diaspora abroad is almost not heard in the country itself, and local politics does not do much to benefit from the valuable experience and unencumbered perspective of Bosnian emigrants. A telling example in this regard is the situation of the largest Bosnian diaspora in Germany - the one in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. There is no longer a Bosnian consulate there, and people from the most remote parts of Germany are forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to Frankfurt to settle their consular affairs. "The diaspora abroad is clearly not of much interest to the authorities in Bosnia itself," commented the Berliner Zeitung.
"I will go back one day," say many Bosnians, but only a few of them actually do it, because they are stopped by widespread corruption, hopelessness, insecurity and the lack of infrastructure in their homeland.
In the Corruption Perceptions Index of "Transparency International", Bosnia and Herzegovina occupies an unenviable 114th place, making it one of the worst-performing countries in Europe. Administrative difficulties, the country's complex structure and the great division between the different nationalities further hinder development, the German public-law media outlet MDR also notes.
Because of all this, for many, a summer vacation in their native village or town often remains the only connection with the country they come from. Moreover, Bosnia itself shows no interest or offers incentives to those who wish to return. "This human capital is simply ignored", the publication concludes.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has great potential
The author also recalls something else: for the second and third generations living abroad, the homeland of their parents is only a faded memory from photos of summer vacations and traditional meals. Added to this is the fact that many of the younger people with Bosnian roots no longer speak the language of their homeland well, and Bosnia itself does not offer adequate support in the form of good teachers, relevant curricula and modern concepts of the diaspora.
Perhaps this is precisely why many young people are drawn not so much to Bosnia as to Spain, Italy or the Far East, and their familiar family histories are no longer enough to maintain their sense of national belonging, concludes "Berliner Zeitung".
Despite everything, there are also reasons for optimism, the publication reports and mentions the following factors: "Bosnia has great potential - low daily costs, good internet, high quality of life. However, the country has not yet realized that it has long been competing for the best minds with the rest of the world. When will the diaspora abroad not be just some sentimental appendage, but will it be realized as a creative force?", asks Erdin Kadunich.
Bistra Uzunova editor