Christian Schmidt's departure from his role as the international peace overseer in Bosnia and Herzegovina risks exacerbating the country's instability and intensifying calls for the abolition of the High Representative office.
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Christian Schmidt's resignation as head of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia will reignite local and international discussions about closing the embattled office, further weakening its powers, or even relocating it outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Finding a replacement and deciding the OHR's future will determine Bosnia's future stability – or potential destabilization.
It will also test already strained relations between US and EU decision-makers and reopen questions about Russia's role in the Balkans, among other geopolitical issues.
Discussions about Schmidt's replacement and the OHR's future have already begun behind closed doors in diplomatic missions and in Western capitals, according to diplomats.
Names are being circulated, but for the time being, there appear to be no clear candidates, so it is premature to mention them.
According to these sources, US diplomats are leading the discussions, and they are discussing these issues not only with the EU but also with Russian officials.
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