Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia constituted part of the Roman Empire in the first centuries of the spread of Christianism throughout Europe. After the fall of the Empire the territory was initially contested between Byzantium and the western successors of the Romans.

The Dayton Peace Agreement put an end to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina but left a legacy of strong decentralisation that is resulting in extreme difficulty and slowness of the decision-making machinery.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is going through a considerable economic crisis. Explanations for the current situation are to be found both in the recent conflict events and in the mismanagement of local politics in the war aftermath.

The conflict and the social polarisation derived from the ethnic orientation of the political and social structures emerged in the aftermath of the war has determined grave imbalances in access to resources and services.