Bosnia Holds Crucial General Election Amid Deep Ethnic Divisions

Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina have begun casting ballots in a closely watched general election that will determine leaders at the national and regional levels and could influence the country’s bid to join the European Union.

About 3.4 million registered voters are expected to elect the three members of the country’s multiethnic presidency, lawmakers for the national parliament, and leaders of the two main entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Serbs.

Bosnia’s complicated political system was established under the 1995 US-brokered Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the 1992–1995 war and sought to manage tensions among the country’s Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

However, political divisions and war-era rhetoric remain major issues in the election. Some voters have expressed frustration that major political parties continue to focus on ethnic tensions and the legacy of the war rather than economic and social challenges.

Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska and a prominent Bosnian Serb politician, told supporters at a final campaign rally in Banja Luka that Bosnia and Herzegovina was an “impossible country”.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniak parties are advocating for a stronger central government. Incumbent Bosniak presidency member Denis Becirovic has also pledged to renew efforts toward membership of the European Union and NATO.

Bosnia was granted EU candidate status in December 2022, but accession negotiations have been delayed amid demands from Brussels for stronger anti-corruption measures and judicial reforms.

Croat nationalist parties, meanwhile, are calling for electoral reforms that would give Croats greater influence over the selection of the Croat member of the tripartite presidency.

Russia has also been accused of obstructing Bosnia’s progress towards EU membership while maintaining close relations with the SNSD, the party associated with calls for greater autonomy and possible secession of Republika Srpska.

The 2026 election also marks the first nationwide use of biometric fingerprint identification and electronic ballot scanners, introduced to help prevent electoral fraud.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 7pm local time, with preliminary results expected later in the day.