Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Staša Košarac, sent an SS helmet to German politician Christian Schmidt, who serves as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The package included a letter describing Schmidt as “the embodiment of evil.” The gesture has drawn sharp criticism from both the European Union and the United States.

A Provocative Gesture

Košarac, a member of Milorad Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), announced on Instagram that he had sent the “occupier Schmidt” a Nazi helmet along with a “Letter to the Occupier.” In the letter, he wrote that the item was “not a gift, but a keepsake from Schmidt’s ancestors, whose values this occupier continues to uphold.”

The Dispute Over Schmidt’s Mandate

Christian Schmidt holds the post of High Representative, an international official appointed after the Bosnian War to ensure implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Dodik and his allies have repeatedly rejected Schmidt’s authority, claiming he operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina illegally. Their resistance escalated after Dodik obstructed Schmidt’s decisions—actions that led to Dodik’s removal from the presidency of Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Košarac accused Schmidt of “unconstitutional manipulation” that has “destroyed democracy” in the country and triggered a “political trial against Dodik.” In his letter, he described Schmidt as “the embodiment of political evil and malicious intent toward Republika Srpska,” even suggesting that he deserved a “Nuremberg trial”—a reference to the post-WWII prosecutions of Nazi officials and collaborators.

EU and US Condemn the Incident

The EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a statement on X strongly condemning Košarac’s actions, calling them “scandalous and unacceptable from a public official.”

The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo echoed this sentiment, stating that the minister’s behavior was “counterproductive and contrary to efforts to maintain stability and promote prosperity.”