International Political Career
On December 14, 2005, he was confirmed to replace Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon both as the High Representative (OHR) — a post created by the 1995 Dayton Agreement — and as the EU's special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On January 31, 2006 he was appointed as such. Schwarz-Schilling was nominated by the Bosniak and Bosnian Serb presidents. He has cast his role as that of "advisor" to the country who wants to "listen to the people" — in contrast to his predecessor Ashdown, who attracted criticism particularly from Bosnian Serbs for relying too heavily on his powers to force through legislation and sack elected officials.
Under Schwarz-Schilling, the OHR seemed to soften its invasiveness, thanks to pressures from the Council of Europe and a growing EU involvement. The number of OHR legislative initiatives and of dismissed officials lowered. The EU decision to shut down the OHR by June 2007 unexpectedly arose disappointment and concern in the Bosnian population, NGOs, and politicians.
Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajčák replaced Christian Schwarz-Schilling - who was originally intended to be the last holder of the post - on 30 June 2007. Lajčák retook a more intrusive approach in the work of the OHR, making it seem that apparently decreased intrusiveness was mostly due to the "weak personality" of Schwarz-Schilling.
Read more about this topic: Christian Schwarz-Schilling
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