Bosnia-Herzegovina votes amid divisive campaigns, EU bid
Polls have opened in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where voters are taking part in parliamentary, presidential and local elections.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, citizens cast their votes on Sunday in a general election, with around 3.4 million eligible voters participating. The election entails choosing officials from various governmental levels, including members of the multiethnic, tripartite presidency, lawmakers for the federal parliament, and leaders for the two self-governing entities — the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serb-controlled Republika Srpska.
The election took place amidst several challenges, such as an economic downturn, minimal progress toward EU membership, and political deadlock between ethnically-based dominant parties from the two entities, which often stall decisions at the central government level. The election pits adversary ethnic parties, the Bosniak SDA, Serb SNSD, and Croat HDZ BiH, against multi-ethnic opposition coalitions led by the Social Democratic Party.
Voting concluded at 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), with preliminary results expected to be announced later that day. The nation's governance is divided among the multiethnic central government, the neutral Brcko district, and the two semi-autonomous entities. The entities themselves are further divided into multiple cantons and communities.
The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is roughly split, with around half identifying as Muslim Bosniaks, 31% as Orthodox Serb, and 15% as Catholic Croat. Although the country has remained peaceful in recent times, ethnonationalist parties have maintained divisions, despite voters expressing a desire to move past war-era rhetoric and divisions.
In Republika Srpska, former president Milorad Dodik, barred from holding public office due to his defiance of the international peace process, is running for the entity's presidency. Dodik, who recently returned from Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeks close ties with Serbia and Russia. In the Muslim-Croat federation, Bosniak parties are pushing for a stronger central state, while Bosnian Croats largely back their ethnic parties.
Meanwhile, incumbent Bosniak presidency member Denis Becirovic has pledged a renewed path toward EU and NATO membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been an EU candidate since 2022, but actual membership negotiations depend on the implementation of numerous reforms, such as enhancing judicial oversight and passing anti-corruption laws.
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