Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina went to the polls on Sunday in a general election marked by record-low participation and a continued dominance of ethnonationalist parties. According to the Central Election Commission (CIK), turnout reached just 41.5%, a significant decline from the 51.5% recorded in 2022. With over 90% of votes tallied, nationalist candidates have secured victories across multiple tiers of government, including the country’s complex, tripartite presidency.
The results confirm the victory of Zeljka Cvijanovic for the Serb seat, Denis Becirovic for the Bosniak seat, and Darijana Filipovic for the Croat seat. Cvijanovic, backed by Republika Srpska’s former secessionist leader Milorad Dodik, claimed approximately 55.6% of the vote. Becirovic, a moderate leftist, won the Bosniak position with 38.1%, while Filipovic took the Croat seat with 48.2%. Dodik, who has been barred from holding public office for six years following convictions for defying the international high representative, celebrated the outcome, declaring that his SNSD party retained power in the Serb-majority entity.
Despite not appearing on the ballot, Dodik remained the central figure in Republika Srpska. His protégé, Savo Minic, decisively won the entity’s presidential race, and the SNSD increased its parliamentary share to 39%, up from 34.6% in the previous election. Dodik, who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, continues to advocate for closer ties with Serbia and Russia, having previously described Bosnia and Herzegovina as an “impossible country.”
The election also saw contests for the federal parliament and leadership positions within the two semi-autonomous entities: the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Serb-run Republika Srpska (RS). The political landscape remains sharply divided along ethnic lines, with major parties such as the Bosniak SDA, Serb SNSD, and Croat HDZ BiH competing against multi-ethnic opposition coalitions led by the Social Democratic Party.
Bosnia’s governance structure, established by the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, divides authority between the central government, the two entities, and the Brcko district. This framework was designed to end the 1992-1995 war, during which more than 100,000 people were killed and over two million displaced. While the country has enjoyed peace in recent years, ethnic politics continue to overshadow calls for reform. About 50% of the population identifies as Bosniak, 31% as Serb, and 15% as Croat.
Challenges facing the nation include an economic downturn, sluggish progress toward European Union membership, and persistent political gridlock. Although Bosnia has been an EU candidate since 2022, the start of accession talks hinges on the implementation of reforms, including judicial oversight and anti-corruption measures. Meanwhile, incumbent president Denis Becirovic has vowed to pursue a renewed path toward EU and NATO integration, contrasting with the separatist rhetoric prevalent in parts of Republika Srpska.
Polling stations closed at 7 p.m. local time, with preliminary results expected later that evening. However, due to the country’s intricate constitutional order and the likelihood of prolonged coalition negotiations, the final political configuration may remain unclear for months.
Dodik is clearly still pulling the strings from the shadows. It is deeply frustrating that he is barred from office yet keeps his party in power.
Forty-one percent turnout is alarming. The people seem exhausted by the same old ethnic divisions instead of motivated to change them.