Report “A Political Romance: Relations between Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina”
This report is a study of relations between two countries, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), their specific political relations rooted in deep historical, cultural and religious ties, political flirtation, and economic trends that (un)follow this seemingly idyllic exchange. Given Turkey’s ever-growing political and economic power in the world, as well as regional stage, nurturing BiH’s good cooperation with this powerful friend definitely deserves special attention. But as this report shows, the ties often presented as idyllic by politicians on both sides, on the ground to date did not generate many tangible results. Focusing on the culture, politics and economy of these relations, our analysis finds that, in fact, even…
Policy Brief: Youth Unemployment: Do You Have an Attitude Issue?
Youth unemployment is an issue that is very high on the agenda worldwide. Even though it is not specific to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it appears that young people in this country are faring the worst with 58% of youth unemployed. The predominant view holds that their predicament is exclusively due to the bad economic environment and lack of opportunities, but overlooks the factor of youth’s behaviour and attitude when entering the job market. Being aware of the multiple layers and numerous factors contributing towards this chronic issue, we have decided to embark on a path of explaining its complexities through a larger project addressing each of the layers separately.…
Policy Brief: Bosnia’s Alcoholic Daze – The Perspective of BiH’s Industrial Future
This is a story about the chemical industry in BiH that reveals the core problem behind decision making in BiH. It is delivered based on little or no information, often without the context and unfortunately with severe consequences for the industrial branches and entrepreneurs. The chemical industry is one of the main pillars of BiH’s economy exporting more than 500 million KM worth of products in 2012. At the same time, its development has been impeded due to unfavorable legislation regarding the import of an important ingredient – the denatured alcohol. As a result, companies are forced to choose between not importing this ingredient at all, thus being unable to…
