Proposed Croat federal unit in Bosnia and Herzegovina

High Representative Christian Schmidt, who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the peace deal that ended the Bosnian war, warned on Friday that he could intervene using his sweeping powers if politicians in the Federation entity do not find a way to implement election results and form a government in the entity.

The formation of a government in the Bosniak and Croat-dominated Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the bigger of Bosnia's two entities, remains on hold since the October 2022 election, as the governing coalition that promised its quick formation falls apart. 

Ljubljana – Faris Kočan, a researcher at the Centre of International Relations at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, believes the results of the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina available so far indicate time may have come for civic ideas as opposed to nationalism.

Türkiye is ready to give support for overcoming the problems regarding the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 6.

The Serbian member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, on Monday said that Bosnian Serbs will respect Sunday's agreement signed in Brussels on building a peaceful and stable Bosnia. Although the agreement is not signed or legally binding, "it will be respected on the political and moral level", he said.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (L), Slovenian President Borut Pahor (C), Member of the Bosnian Presidency, Milorad Dodik (R). Photo: EPA-EFE/IGOR KUPLJENIK

"We won't solve this problem without the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina," Milanovic said.

In an interview with the Croatian agency, Escobar said that Serbia "historically, culturally and economically belongs to Europe" and that most of its citizens believe that their future is in that alliance. He also reminded Milanovic that Serbia stated EU membership as its strategic goal and that it was already connected with that alliance.

Vui addressed the media after the Summit of EU and Western Balkans leaders from the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP).

The first, partial results of Sunday's local elections still offer no clear indications as to who will be forming the new local government in Bosnia and Herzegovina's south-western city of Mostar, famous for its Old Bridge and infamous for its vicious fighting during the country's 1992-95 war, as well as for its post-war ethnic divisions.

Although almost three weeks have passed since the International Monetary Fund transferred 330 million euros to Bosnia and Herzegovina to combat the coronavirus crisis, the country's political leaders have not yet agreed on how to distribute the money.