Post-conflict Reconstruction through State-and Nation-building: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The article analyses the effects of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which had been based on a "political" compromise with various static and dynamic elements, with regard to the functioning of institutions, developments in the party system, rule of law, effective administration and the economy. In particular the role of the High Representative and the Constitutional Court′s jurisprudence are highlighted for post-conflict reconstruction through state- and nation-building. Finally, based also on a critique of the role of the International Community, the remaining problems are addressed such as the economic viability and attractiveness for foreign investment and the need to shift the balance more from ethnic power-sharing to state effectiveness. In this regard, lessons to be learned from the Bosnian case study are drawn and put into a prospective context for further integration into the European Union.