Does power-sharing facilitate memory-sharing? Bosnian Croat narratives in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This study examines how Bosnian Croat wartime narratives intersect with perspectives on post-war power-sharing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Drawing on media, NGO reports and semi-elite interviews, it shows that despite shared wartime narratives, particularly those depicting Serbs as aggressors, competition within the consociational system has led to narrative divergence between Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks. Historical grievances are utilised to contest the legitimacy of power-sharing arrangements and reinforce ethnonational divisions. These findings challenge sequential expectations of peacebuilding and reconciliation that assume power-sharing may lead to memory convergence. Instead, they show that power-sharing arrangements can indirectly entrench competing claims to wartime victimhood.