2026 Bosnian general election
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Bosniak member of the presidency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Croat member of the presidency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Serb member of the presidency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All 42 seats in the House of Representatives 22 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General elections are scheduled to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 4 October 2026. They will decide the makeup of the presidency as well as national, entity and cantonal governments.[1]
Background
[edit]Amendment to the Election Law
[edit]On 26 March 2024, Christian Schmidt, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued a decree amending the country's Election Law to strengthen election integrity across the nation. In response, on 19 April, Republika Srpska adopted its own election law, which would establish a new entity-level election commission that would oversee all electoral processes within the entity. Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska president, pledged that the entity would enforce its own Election Law in the 2026 general election.[2]
Political background of the governing coalition before the election
[edit]Following the 2022 election, a coalition led by the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) and the liberal alliance Troika reached an agreement on the formation of a new government, designating HDZ BiH deputy president Borjana Krišto as the new chairwoman of the Council of Ministers.[3]
In January 2025, Troika announced that it was rescinding its support for the coalition with the SNSD, following the latter failing to vote for two laws concentrated on European Union accession.[4] The legislation was ultimately passed with votes from the SNSD's opposition in Republika Srpska.[5] Since then, Krišto has been accused of intentionally ignoring the appointment of Troika-backed Republika Srpska opposition politician and outspoken Dodik critic Nebojša Vukanović as the new minister of security following the office's vacancy in January 2025.[6] Krišto's actions sparked up renewed stories of the SNSD's and HDZ BiH's long-standing relations.[7] Some opposition parties have called for Krišto's resignation and for a vote of no confidence.[8]
Indictment and trial of Milorad Dodik
[edit]In February 2025, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik was convicted by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a first-instance verdict and was sentenced to one year imprisonment, and was also banned from performing the duties of the president of Republika Srpska for six years due to anti-constitutional conduct.[9] Dodik refused to recognize the ruling and introduced laws barring federal law enforcement agencies from operating in Republika Srpska, prompting the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to issue arrest warrants against him and other senior officials of Republika Srpska in March 2025.[10] The court also requested the issuance of an international arrest warrant against Dodik and Republika Srpska National Assembly speaker Nenad Stevandić from Interpol.[11] Ultimately, Interpol rejected the request for the arrest warrant, deeming the persecution of Dodik and Stevandić as politically motivated.[12]
On 4 July 2025, Dodik voluntarily appeared before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[13] The hearing was conducted following a motion submitted by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Acting upon the motion, the Court issued a decision revoking the previously ordered arrest warrant against Dodik, replacing it with a precautionary measure only requiring him to report periodically to a designated state authority.[14]
Electoral system
[edit]National elections
[edit]Presidency
[edit]The three members of the Presidency are elected by plurality. In Republika Srpska voters elect the Serb representative, whilst in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina voters elect the Bosniak and Croat members.[15] Voters registered in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina can vote for either the Bosniak or Croat candidate, but cannot vote in both elections.
House of Representatives
[edit]The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Bosnian Parliament, has 42 members who are elected at entity level according to proportional representation.[16] Voters in the Brčko District are free to vote for the Republika Srpska or Federal constituency.[17] The Federation sends 28 representatives to parliament, while Republika Srpska send 14 of them. Of the 28 representatives of the Federation, 21 are elected in five multi-person constituencies (number of deputies 3-6), to ensure proportionality, seven compensatory mandates according to the Sainte-Laguë procedure. Of the 14 MPs of Republika Srpska, nine are elected in the constituencies (three MPs each) and five via entity-wide equalization mandates.[17] There is a three percent threshold at the entity level.
Elections in Republika Srpska
[edit]Presidency
[edit]There is a list of candidates, whereby the candidate who gets the most votes (usually a Serb) is elected president; there is no runoff. The first-placed candidates from the other two ethnic groups (usually a Bosniak and a Croat) are elected as vice-presidents. The term of office of the President of Republika Srpska is four years with an option for one-time re-election. A renewed candidacy is possible again after a break of at least one term of office.[17]
National Assembly
[edit]The lower chamber of Republika Srpska, the National Assembly, is composed of 83 members elected by proportional representation. The election takes place in nine multi-person constituencies with entity-wide balancing mandates. Furthermore, at least four representatives should be represented in the National Assembly from each of the constitutive peoples. There is a three percent threshold.[17]
Elections in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
[edit]Presidency
[edit]Unlike in Republika Srpska, the president of the Federation and the two vice-presidents are not elected by direct election: The first chamber of the Federal Parliament, the House of Peoples, nominates candidates for the presidency and the vice-presidencies, followed by the second chamber, the House of Representatives, must confirm this nomination by election. Subsequently, confirmation by the majority of the delegates of all three constitutive ethnic groups in the House of Peoples is required.[17]
House of Representatives
[edit]The House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total of 98 members who are elected by proportional representation. The election takes place in 12 multi-person constituencies with entity-wide balancing mandates. In the Federal House of Representatives, each constitutive ethnic group should be represented by at least four members. The threshold is three percent.[17]
Cantonal Assemblies
[edit]The assemblies of the 10 cantons of the Federation are also elected. The election is based on proportional representation with a threshold of three percent. The individual cantonal assemblies send members to the House of Peoples.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bosnian General Election - Presidential, 2026". Poliglobe.
- ^ "Bosnia and Herzegovina". Security Council Report. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ "'Osmorka', HDZ BiH i SNSD potpisali 'historijski' sporazum" (in Bosnian). Al Jazeera Balkans. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "'The Coalition of Three' no longer in Coalition with SNSD". Sarajevo Times. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ A.L. (23 January 2025). "Zakon o zaštiti ličnih podataka prošao Predstavnički dom, "za" glasala 23 delegata" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ N.Ž. (27 May 2025). "Krišto branila ignorisanje zahtjeva za imenovanje Vukanovića: Neka mi kažu gdje sam prekršila zakon" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Nenad Vuković: "Krišto po nalogu HDZ-a i SNSD-a drži Srbe na samo dva ministarska mjesta"". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "Stranka za BiH traži od Bećirovića da pokrene smjenu Vijeća ministara BiH". tip.ba (in Bosnian). 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "Bosnia Serb leader Dodik found guilty of defying peace envoy". France 24. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "Bosnia issues new nationwide arrest warrant for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik". Euronews. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "Bosnian court seeks international arrest warrant for pro-Russian Serb president Dodik". AP News. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Interpol odbio tjeralicu za Dodika i Stevandića: Riječ je o političkom progonu". Bljesak.info (in Croatian). 2 April 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ A.Ku. (4 July 2025). "Dodik se sa Bubićem u Tužilaštvu BiH pojavio danas iza 14:00 sati" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Dodik dao iskaz u Tužilaštvu BiH, ukinuti mu pritvor i potjernica". N1 (in Bosnian). 4 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Maja Sahadžic (2009) The Electoral System of Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Short Review of Political Matter and/or Technical Perplexion Archived 27 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine Contemporary Issues, Vol. 2, No. 1
- ^ Electoral System Archived 3 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine IPU
- ^ a b c d e f g "Election Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
