Acting High Representative Louis Crishock has submitted a semi-annual report on the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations Secretary-General, stating that policies pursued from Republika Srpska could lead to the de facto dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the portal Istraga reported.
The report notes at the outset that electoral technologies were introduced into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s electoral system for the first time.
“The system functioned without major disruptions; it accelerated the announcement of preliminary results and enhanced the transparency of the elections. Biometric identification achieved a success rate of over 97 percent, while manual counting revealed only minor discrepancies compared to the electronic results,” the report states.
It is noted that the lower voter turnout can be partly attributed to the new biometric identification technology.
The report states that authorities in Republika Srpska have continued to disregard decisions made by the state-level judiciary—specifically the binding rulings of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina—including those concerning state property.
“These persistent obstructions weaken state institutions, limit their capacity to fulfill legal obligations, and delay Euro-Atlantic integration. Combined with attempts to bypass state institutions and establish separate structures within Republika Srpska, these actions reinforce a scenario of de facto separation,” the Office of the High Representative (OHR) assessed.
Such obstruction has negatively impacted the functioning of state institutions and the exercise of state-level competencies. “This included blocking legislative agendas by withholding a parliamentary quorum, which resulted in limited legislative output, delays in appointments, and constraints on the funding and staffing of institutions. Challenges to state-level competencies also extend to the non-implementation of final and binding decisions by state judicial institutions, including rulings by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding state property.”
The OHR believes that such actions have significantly undermined the effective functioning of state institutions.
“Although many institutions remain operational, they lack—to varying degrees—the staff, resources, decisions, or authority required to effectively carry out their mandates. The resulting dysfunction is then cited by those who contribute to it, in order to question the necessity of state-level institutions or to justify further challenges to their powers. Consequently, the state’s ability to fulfill its international obligations and advance its Euro-Atlantic integration agenda is severely hindered—and, in certain areas, brought to a complete standstill.”
The OHR adds that this undermines the constitutional order established by the Dayton Peace Agreement, reports Istraga.
“While the formal division of competencies under the Constitution remains unchanged, the capacity of state institutions to exercise these competencies is progressively diminishing, thereby impeding the effective functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign state.”
It further warns that policies driven from the Republika Srpska (RS) could lead to the de facto disintegration of the state.
“Beyond systematic obstruction, efforts have been observed to implement, replicate, or establish legal and institutional arrangements that correspond to the competencies assigned to state institutions and the Republika Srpska. Such efforts could result in an increasing decoupling of the exercise of public authority in the Republika Srpska from the state’s constitutional and institutional framework—leading to a creeping, de facto secession from the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” The OHR pointed out that, in his post-election address, Dodik promised the continuation of the SNSD’s policies, explicitly reiterating his intention to have the RS reclaim competencies in the areas of defense, intelligence services, and indirect taxation, and to persist in demands to limit the jurisdiction of judicial institutions at the state level.
“Subsequently, he announced an initiative to adopt a new Constitution of Republika Srpska on January 9—a date that RS authorities persistently designate and celebrate as ‘Republika Srpska Day,’ in violation of rulings by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A previous attempt to adopt a new entity Constitution (the decision by the RS National Assembly to adopt a Draft Constitution of Republika Srpska) was declared unconstitutional; it was deemed incompatible with the constitutional order and the division of competencies established by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina—as well as with decisions made by state-level institutions—and was found to pose a direct threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the report states.
The report further notes that the fiscal sustainability of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions has remained fragile, with state institutions operating under temporary financing arrangements for the better part of 2026. The Governing Board of the Indirect Taxation System achieved only limited results, failing to fulfill its mandate and legal obligations. “The continued refusal of the Republika Srpska authorities to recognize the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding state property, and their subsequent failure to register the state’s ownership rights, remain a serious concern,” stated the OHR, as reported by the portal Istraga.
