Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in the Balkan Peninsula where economic, administrative, and political responsibilities are divided among a multi-ethnic central government, the autonomous Brčko District, and two semi-autonomous entities. These entities primarily operate independently: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which includes Muslims and Croats, and the Republika Srpska, which is under Serb control.
Ethnic Composition and Political Structure
These two semi-autonomous entities are divided into several cantons and communities, with the majority being Bosniaks and Croats in the central-western Federation and Bosnian Serbs in the Republika Srpska. Ethnic nationalism principles are key to the central and political organization of the country. The Constitution of Bosnia recognizes Bosniaks (Muslims), Bosnian Serbs (Orthodox), and Bosnian Croats (Catholic) as “constituent peoples” with equal rights.
Today, the population of this country is about 3.1 million, half of whom are Bosniaks, 31% Serbs, and 15% Croats. Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian are recognized as official languages.
Political Challenges and International Oversight
The central government is run by a rotating tripartite presidency, which includes one representative from each of the three main groups. This complex structure, established in the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995, was designed to end the Bosnian War. The war, which resulted from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, led to the deaths of about 100,000 people and the displacement of 2.2 million.
Despite Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognition in the international community and its presence in the United Nations, the country is still not fully independent. The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina was established to oversee the civilian aspects of the Dayton Agreement since 1995. The High Representative, who until last June was Christian Schmidt from Germany and is now Louis M. Krieschok from the United States, has extensive powers and can dismiss elected officials and impose new laws.
Severe criticism from the Republika Srpska and its influential leader Milorad Dodik has increased due to the obstacles created by this office towards separatism. Dodik is pursuing various scenarios to separate the Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In recent years, negotiations with the European Union have been proposed as one way out of the economic and political challenges. Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its membership application to the European Union in 2016, and the Council of Europe has greenlit the start of negotiations in early 2024.
