Small track of compromise on the future of Althea

(BRUSSELS2 in Wroclaw) During the informal dinner of defense ministers, an outline of a compromise appeared to emerge on the future of the EU military mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Between those in favor of closing the mission and those in favor of maintaining it, a middle path could be found. The mission would remain limited to a training mission for the Bosnian army, therefore without an executive mandate (which has already been decided). And forces would be held in reserve outside the country “just in case”, as part of EU battlegroups. Which would allow the Althea mission to be closed, without doing so completely.

A utility for battlegroups

This solution has a double advantage, according to a Polish manager who spoke to B2, resolving the Althea question but also giving utility to Battlegroups. “ Many countries are, in fact, questioning the need to provide forces to battlegroups. Because they were not used ". But adds a national diplomat, a supporter of the first option (closure), this solution is not without implications: “ Countries that have a permanent battlegroup could find themselves involved in the Balkans even though they may not really want to. ”, nor having budgeted for it, one might add.

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