While miners announce mass protests over their demands, state ministers, parliamentarians, their chiefs of staff and advisers are set to receive higher incomes after the salary base for employees in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina was increased from 631 to 690 marks.
The increase comes despite assessments that the state level has recorded the weakest results in fulfilling pre-election promises, while numerous reform processes have been stalled by political blockades.
According to monitoring data, only a small number of promises made at the level of the Council of Ministers have been fulfilled. At the same time, citizens continue to finance the salaries, allowances and other benefits of elected officials, including those who do not attend parliamentary sessions or participate in discussions on important legislation.
Salaries of ministers and parliamentarians, which already reach 6,000 and 7,000 BAM, will increase by approximately another 600 BAM. Delegates in the House of Peoples who contribute to the loss of quorum and block the adoption of legislation will also receive the higher salaries.
Parliamentarians in Bosnia and Herzegovina have increased their salaries by more than 2,000 BAM since 2020.
The Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Srđan Amidžić, placed responsibility for the salary legislation on parliamentarians, arguing that they proposed and adopted the controversial provisions despite his warnings.
“The minister did not vote for the law. The deputies did. The minister did not propose a controversial solution. The deputies did. The minister warned of the problem. The deputies, however, adopted it,” Amidžić said.
Monitoring of the implementation of pre-election promises shows that the state level has recorded particularly poor results.
Dalio Sijah, editor of the portal Istinomjer, said that out of 251 promises monitored at the level of the Council of Ministers, only 20 were classified as fulfilled.
“Out of a total of 251 promises at the level of the Council of Ministers, 20 promises entered the fulfilled category, 59 were partially fulfilled, while 169, i.e. the largest number of promises, remained in the unfulfilled category,” Sijah said.
Political analyst Drago Vuković said that political disagreements often disappear when officials’ positions and financial interests are at stake.
“It’s a policy of conflict, denial. But when they need to secure better positions, higher incomes, appanages, then they come to an agreement,” Vuković said.
Journalist and analyst Željko Raljić said that citizens are receiving a clear message from the current situation.
“The message to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina is clear. We are here for us, not for you. Parliamentarians, and for God’s sake the rest of us, do not even deserve these salaries that they receive. So, they have not justified them with anything,” Raljić said.
Sociologist Almir Saračević emphasized that legality does not necessarily mean social responsibility or fairness.
“I believe that all citizens will agree that the basis of justice does not exist. Increasing the salaries of political elites, who have enormously high salaries, is not fair to ordinary citizens,” Saračević said.
The growing cost of political office comes at a time when many citizens are struggling with rising living costs and low wages and pensions. Meanwhile, elected officials continue to receive salaries, lump-sum payments and allowances regardless of their attendance or the progress of legislation.
The contrast between rising incomes for officials and the limited implementation of political promises has once again placed the issue of accountability at the center of public debate.
With the General Election scheduled for October 4, voters will soon have the opportunity to assess the work of the political representatives who have sought their support during the campaign.
