Analysis of the results of the 2026 General Elections held in Bosnia and Herzegovina and preparations for the implementation of the election results were the topic of today’s fifth session of the Main Board of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), held in Zenica.
The party’s president Bakir Izetbegović received the support of the SDA Main Board to lead negotiations on government formation with his team headed by Mirsad Zaimović. After the session, Izetbegović said he does not believe that the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be formed before February or March of next year.
Regarding the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he added that it depends on partners from the Serb and Croat sides.
“State authorities—meaning the Council of Ministers of BiH—would be easier to assemble, but it depends on our partners. As for the SDA, the sooner the better. And the sooner with the budget, the sooner we prepare the European path… I hope that the ‘Serb side’ has come around to this, so to speak. It has lost some strongholds for its secessionist plans and narratives. On the other hand, its burden is growing,” believes Izetbegović, who noted that the number of pensioners is 20 percent higher in the entity of Republika Srpska than in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He added that the debt “per capita is 100 percent higher than in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” He emphasized that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is already over-indebted.
“Therefore, if I were in Mr. Dodik’s place (Milorad, the president of the SNSD, editor’s note), I would form the government as soon as possible, and “lift the brakes” on Euro-Atlantic integration, so that we can move forward on the path of reforms and the building of the country.”
Regarding the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he announced he will give priority to the parties from the “pro-Bosnian bloc,” specifically those that spent the past four years in opposition to the “Troika” parties. However, he added that he has nothing against the Social Democratic Party of BiH (SDP BiH) being part of the coalition at the state level.
“I think we should form one strong pro-Bosnian bloc and that it would be good, including everyone – whoever wants to be included. But this is my stance. We have not yet adopted this stance within the SDA.
“As I said, I think that SDP needs to purify itself of the people who had problems with the law and who brought us to this situation – and the situation is really bad,” Izetbegović emphasized, adding that it is not true that international factors are requesting the exclusion of certain parties from the coalition.
First and foremost, he added, he was referring to the Party for BiH (SBiH). There was a public talk regarding this party that American friends would oppose that party entering government.
He said that the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in BiH, John Ginkel, confirmed this to him. Ginkel stated that they have no intention of interfering in any way with matters concerning government formation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Izetbegović recalled that he has spoken with the SBiH President Semir Efendić, DF President Željko Komšić, and HDZ BiH President Dragan Čović, with whom he has spoken several times over the phone. He announced the continuation of talks for next week.
SDA Main Board President (GO SDA) Safet Softić emphasized that the party should lead the government at the state and federal levels, as well as in the majority of cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because it has achieved the best election result since 2002. He congratulated everyone on their engagement and thanked supporters and voters for their support.
“We are satisfied with the achieved election result, which is 25 to 30 percent better compared to the previous general elections. This repeatedly confirms the fact that SDA continuously enjoys the highest trust of voters at all levels of government. This trust and such an election result give us the right and the obligation to lead the legislative and executive power at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the majority of cantons,” said Softić.
GO SDA tasked the SDA Presidency with drafting a special analysis of the results in Republika Srpska, defining systemic solutions aimed at improving organization, stopping the decline in the number of SDA voters, and increasing them,
“GO SDA gives its full support to President Izetbegović and the SDA negotiation team to launch intensive talks with potential partners on forming coalitions at all levels. We recognize partners primarily among pro-Bosnian-oriented parties that opposed the policies of the current government in the previous mandate.
Negotiations for government formation must be based on clear programs and priorities that will enable the political stabilization of stalled reform processes on the Euro-Atlantic path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, strengthening the economy through the launch of new investments, and restoring participation and influence of Bosniaks in state and federal institutions in accordance with the constitutional obligation of proportional representation,” Softić emphasized.
One of the conclusions, he added, is that they welcome the report which the acting High Representative Louis Crishock submitted to the UN Security Council.
“The report correctly identified processes directed against the constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as the responsible political actors. GO SDA congratulates the election winners in Serbia.
From the new leadership of Serbia, we expect a contribution to the stabilization of political opportunities in the region, the strengthening of mutual trust and the improvement of good-neighborly relations. It is particularly important that relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are built on principles of mutual respect and equality, with full respect for international law,” Softić said.
