Even in the works of the ancient Roman writers, the area of present day Bosnia and Herzegovina was mentioned in the context of production and processing of milk, in which cheese was one of the main products. However, if judging by the current strategic documents on all government levels in BiH, this tradition, alongside any potential benefits it might have in today’s economy, seems to be forgotten. The year 2011 in Bosnia will be remembered as the year of political paralysis on the State level, which has halted reforms needed to help the country’s shivery economy, and failed to bring it any closer to the EU membership. The year was…

Official symbols often play an important role in the formation of identity. As this can frequently have meaningful political significance, Populari decided to gather and analyze the coat of arms of each Bosnian municipality. This country-wide perspective provided us with the opportunity to visually analyze the messages these symbols transmit, and determine if any trends emerged. To prepare a princess-to-be, the heralds at the College of Arms designed a coat of arms for Kate Middleton the week before her marriage to Prince William. The College of Arms is the official heraldic society in the United Kingdom which creates visual identities for families and individuals since its establishment during the 15th…

After the 2010 general elections, both Belgium and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to operate without governments. The countries are also similar in that both are federal states, both are composed of three regions, and both are made up of three communities. However, the lack of a government seems to affect BiH much more severely than it does Belgium due to a number of significant structural differences. Four months without a government in Bosnia with so many outstanding issues certainly makes a larger impact than eight months without a government in Belgium. While Belgium is one of the founding members of the EU, BiH still has to apply for candidate status. The…