GETTY xperts claim there has been little progress towards serious reforms in the country

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Bosnian leaders received a boost to their EU aspirations last week, after they were given the go-ahead to begin talks to sign up to membership of the union. But Balkans expert Jasmin Mujanovic says the announcement is suspicious, as he believes the crumbling bloc has timed it in a bid to weaken nationalist forces in the country. Bosnia first submitted their application membership to the bloc in February, with prime minister Denis Zvizdic announcing he was determined to join the EU because "nowhere on this planet people live better." On Tuesday, leaders came together to celebrate its acceptance after Brussels said it would begin specific “chapters” to start negotiations - meaning the Balkan state will follow in the footsteps of Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro who are "candidate” countries.

GETTY Bosnian leaders received a boost to their EU aspirations last week

Mr Zvizdić declared the chapter agreements a “historic moment” for his country ahead of the local elections on October 2. Now he and fellow politicians must get stuck in to reading a complicated document containing 2,000 questions on the Bosnian economy, society and politics. But while Bosnian leaders seem positive for the future, analysts have claimed there is a sinister timing behind the EU’s acceptance of their membership application. Mr Mujanovic says there is a “fundamental disconnect” between the congratulations issued to Bosnia over its application and the EU’s concern over the future of the Nationalist country.

Experts claim there has been little progress towards serious reforms in the country, which was the scene of the most prolific war since the Nazi era that was caused by nationalist separatism following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Now there are fears tension could erupt again, after the Bosnian Serb president revealed he had won a banned referendum over a disputed national holiday. Organisers in the autonomous Serb Republic part of Bosnia said with 71 percent of the votes counted, 99.8 percent of voters supported the January 9 "Statehood Day" holiday, with turnout possibly as high as 60 percent.

GETTY The Balkans war the most prolific since the Nazi era that was caused by nationalist separatism

GETTY More than 100,000 died in the bloody three-year conflict

Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a security issue, which was the greatest fear of all of us here in Bosnia. Inela Hadzic

However most of the region's Muslim Bosnians and Catholic Croatians oppose the holiday, which coincides with a Serbian Orthodox Christian festival and also marks the Serb territory's 1992 secession from Bosnia - which triggered a bloody three-year war in which 100,000 were killed. Now many in the region fear that the Serb Republic could be preparing to secede, bringing the future of Bosnia as a whole into doubt. Mr Mujanovic claims the EU’s acceptance of Bosnia “is an indication that the EU is very concerned about the threat of the referendum and generally deteriorating situation in the country, and they want to use this moment to weaken some of these nationalist forces”. Inela Hadzic added: “Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a security issue, which was the greatest fear of all of us here in Bosnia.”

What countries are in the EU? Wed, September 14, 2016 In the wake of Brexit, we look at the 28 member states that are in the European Union. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 29 Countries that are in the European Union

GETTY Mr Zvizdić declared the chapter agreements a “historic moment” for his country