The Future Does Not Belong to the Silent

The author, dissident, and first President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel, once observed that “freedom and democracy include participation, and therefore responsibility from us all”.

The vote is precious. I still remember clearly my feelings the first time I cast my own ballot in Naples - a mixture of civic pride that comes with holding a powerful democratic tool in your hands, nervousness about whether the decision you’ve taken is the right one, and curiosity about the result.

This Sunday, thousands of young people born across Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008 will experience those feelings for the very first time. My message to all voters - and especially to those voting for the first time - is simple: “Do not leave your future in anyone else’s hands."

As this year’s generation of first-time voters were taking their first breaths in 2008, Bosnia and Herzegovina was taking its own defining step toward a European future by signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Today, eighteen years later, while progress has undeniably been made, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains further away from EU membership than we, or the majority of BiH citizens would like. 

The reasons why progress remains delayed are well known. Unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not used the opportunity to make leaps forward while accession is a top priority for the EU. Next week, the European Commission will reveal roadmaps to accession for those countries which have made the most progress on the path to the EU. It is a matter of great regret that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not one of them. 

This lack of progress clearly feeds into a sense of frustration and exhaustion among citizens. In my conversations with people across the country, a common complaint is that nothing seems to change. No wonder so many feel apathy or disillusionment about voting. 

The introduction of new electoral technologies should lead to greater trust in the integrity of the electoral process and the results. Nonetheless, greater trust in the process does not fully resolve the deep feeling many people have that there is no-one to vote for. 

And yet, silence is not protest. An uncast ballot is simply a blank cheque. Choosing not to decide is still a decision. It is deciding to let others determine the functionality of democratic institutions, the integrity of the justice system, the quality of the air we breathe, standards in hospitals, and whether friends and relatives will decide to build their lives here or elsewhere.  

It has been underlined before, but I will underline it again - the door to the European Union is firmly open. But European integration is not an abstract bureaucratic exercise. A democratic society is built from the ground up, when citizens demand European standards at the ballot box: integrity over patronage, functional public services over divisive rhetoric, and genuine accountability from those who seek public office.

Over the past few weeks, through the youth-led ‘Future is the EU’ campaign, I have heard young people across Bosnia and Herzegovina talk about the country they want to live in. Their messages were remarkably concrete. They want better education and more opportunities for work. They want peace, security and trust. They want equal opportunities. They want to be able to travel, study and gain experience abroad and still have the possibility to build their future here.

One message particularly stayed with me: “Freedom to leave for the experience, not because we have to.” Another was just as clear: “We want a future we can build here.”

To the young women and men voting for the first time on Sunday: you have the energy, the numbers, and the vision to shape your future.

And to every citizen weighing whether to cast a ballot this weekend: the voting booth remains the one place where every person - regardless of background, wealth, or status – has an equal chance to have a say in who will manage public funds, adopt laws, and shape the politics that affect our future.

For the benefit of this country, do not sit this out. Go out, take ownership, and vote.