By sending 5,000 invitation letters to randomly selected households across the country, the process of the Citizens’ Assembly in Bosnia and Herzegovina has begun – an innovative form of deliberative democracy that provides citizens with the opportunity to consider issues of public importance and that has already been used in this country before.
This process is based on the random selection of citizens as a representative sample of the population, with the aim of familiarizing them with relevant information, exchanging opinions, and providing recommendations on specific issues. Such an approach enables thorough analysis of topics, the exchange of diverse perspectives, and the formulation of recommendations grounded in reasoned deliberation.
Within this Citizens’ Assembly, implemented through the EU‑funded Možemo Bolje initiative, selected participants will explore ways to improve the environment that fosters reconciliation, strengthens trust, and promotes social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina – one of the priorities of the EU accession process. In doing so, the Citizens’ Assembly creates space for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to directly express their views on issues of shared interest and shape recommendations important for their future as well as for the country’s European path.
Membership in the Citizens’ Assembly is open to all adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among those who apply, a group of 80 participants will be selected through stratified random sampling to reflect the country’s demographic diversity according to criteria such as gender, age, geographic representation, education, language, and ethnic background. This method ensures the representativeness and independence of the process, as well as the recommendations that emerge from it.
Selected citizens, supported by independent facilitators and international experts, will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with relevant information, hear different perspectives, ask questions, and jointly consider possible recommendations. After deliberation, participants will agree on recommendations that will be submitted to the Joint Committee on European Integration, on whose behalf Chairperson Zdenko Ćosić signed the invitation letter to citizens.
The aim of this process is to strengthen transparency, trust, and citizen participation in democratic processes through open and structured dialogue that contributes to understanding diverse views and perspectives in BiH society and reinforces the connection between citizens and institutions.
The project “Empowering Trust and Cohesion in Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Možemo Bolje)” is jointly implemented by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
