With only two more sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one additional session of the Council of Ministers expected before the general elections, the mandate of the state-level governing coalition formed in 2023 is drawing to a close.
Despite entering office with ambitious promises focused on European integration, judicial reform and anti-corruption measures, much of the coalition’s agenda remained unfulfilled as political disputes and institutional blockades dominated the past four years.
According to monitoring by Istinomjer, the coalition made more than 250 promises at the beginning of its mandate. By the end of the term, only seven have been fully implemented, while work on many others has begun but remains incomplete.
“The reality is that we are all dissatisfied, primarily because of the missed opportunities regarding EU accession. We have also failed to secure funds from the Growth Plan and implement the Reform Agenda, while NATO integration is no longer even being discussed,” said Šerif Špago, an SDA representative in the House of Representatives.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has also failed to unlock European funding after coalition partners were unable to reach agreement on key legislation concerning the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Political leaders likewise failed to agree on the appointment of the country’s chief negotiator with the European Union, while attempts to reshape the parliamentary majority also ended unsuccessfully.
The House of Peoples spent much of the mandate affected by political blockades, while the Council of Ministers has continued to operate without appointing a state security minister.
As the elections approach, members of the ruling parties have increasingly blamed one another for the lack of progress.
Albin Muslić, an SDP BiH representative in the House of Representatives, argued that Parliament had shown greater initiative than the executive.
“Members of Parliament and parliamentary groups have taken over much of the legislative initiative, which demonstrates parliamentary activity. However, the Council of Ministers has failed to propose enough legislation, and that is completely unacceptable,” Muslić said.
Finance and Treasury Minister Srđan Amidžić acknowledged criticism of the government’s performance.
“It seems to be a competition over who has done less. Perhaps neither Parliament nor the Council of Ministers has done enough. As far as the Council of Ministers is concerned, we have tried to fulfil our legal obligations within our respective ministries as much as possible,” he said.
Political disagreements also extended to international actors.
SNSD representative Sanja Vulić blamed former High Representative Christian Schmidt and former U.S. Ambassador Michael Murphy for interfering in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political affairs, saying SNSD had focused on protecting Republika Srpska’s constitutional competencies.
Meanwhile, Sabina Ćudić of Our Party accused political opponents of misleading citizens.
“Citizens of Republika Srpska have primarily been deceived by claims about secession and the destruction of state institutions. Policies have actively harmed citizens while ideological narratives have been used to justify them,” Ćudić said.
With Parliament set to enter its summer recess before campaigning begins, voters will soon have the opportunity to assess the performance of the outgoing coalition and decide whether it deserves another mandate in the 2026 General Elections.
