Politics of Republika Srpska

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This article is about the politics of the Republika Srpska , one of the two entities that together comprise the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Contents

Presidents of Republika Srpska

Palace of the Republic, the official residence of the President NKD 152 hipotekarna banka.jpg
Palace of the Republic, the official residence of the President
Banski dvor, the former residence of the President Banova palata (1).jpg
Banski dvor, the former residence of the President

National Assembly

House of the National Assembly Stari Dom vojske, Kralja Alfonsa KhIII 3.jpg
House of the National Assembly

The current National Assembly of the Republika Srpska (Народна Скупштина Републике Српске / Narodna Skupština Republike Srpske) is the ninth since the founding of the Republika Srpska.

The political composition of the Tenth Convocation of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (and the change in number of seats from the Ninth Convocation):

Cabinet

House of the Government Banja Luka Building.JPG
House of the Government

The cabinet is composed of the prime minister and the heads of the sixteen ministries. The National Assembly also selects two deputy prime ministers from among the ministers from different constituent peoples (Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks) on the recommendation of the prime minister.

The law requires that eight ministers be elected from the Serb population, five from the Bosniak population, and three from the Croat population. The prime minister may also appoint one minister from among the "others" population (out of the largest constituent ethnic group).

Under the Law on Ministries adopted in October 2002, the "tasks of the administration" of Republika Srpska are carried out by ministries, republican administrative units, and republican administrative organizations. [1]

PositionNamePartyEthnicity
Prime Minister Radovan Višković SNSD Serb
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Justice
Anton Kasipović SNSD Croat
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology
Srebrenka Golić SNSD Bosniak
Minister for Internal Affairs Dragan Lukač SNSD Serb
Minister for FinanceZora Vidović SNSD Serb
Minister for Health and Social WelfareAlen Šeranić SNSD Bosniak
Minister for Education and CultureNatalija Trivić United Srpska Serb
Minister for Labour, Veterans and Disability ProtectionDuško Milunović Socialist Serb
Minister for Administration and Local GovernmentSenka Jujić NPS Bosniak
Minister for Industry, Energy and MiningPetar Đokić Socialist Serb
Minister for European Integration and International CooperationZlatan Klokić SNSD Bosniak
Minister for Family, Youth and SportsSonja Davidović Socialist Bosniak
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Water ManagementBoris Pašalić SNSD Serb
Minister for Transport and CommunicationsNedeljko Ćorić SNSD Serb
Minister for the Economy and EntrepreneurshipVjekoslav Petričević NDP Croat
Minister for Trade and TourismSuzana Gašić DEMOS Croat
Minister for Science and Technology, Higher Education and InformaticsSrđan Rajčević SNSD Serb

Prime Ministers of Republika Srpska

Ministries

There are sixteen ministries as follows: [2]

Administrative services

Administrative services in RS are administrative bodies within the ministries, and are established for the purpose of performing certain activities from within the sphere of activity of the administration, which, due to their nature, entirety and way of performing, require independence and special organization (administration, inspectorates, and other forms). Administrative services are under the direct supervision of the ministry to which they belong. [2]

The following are the administrative units and the ministries to which they belong: [2]

Administrative organizations

Administrative organizations in the RS are established for the purpose of performing professional duties and duties of the republic's administration (institutions, directorates, secretariats, agencies, commissariats, funds, centers and other forms). Administrative organizations may have the attributes of a legal entity. [2]

Current situation

A proposed secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina has remained a consistent topic of conversation in the entity, particularly driven by Milorad Dodik, the long-time President of Republika Srpska who has advocated for a referendum on independence. [3] Meanwhile, Bosniak politicians like Haris Silajdžić, party leader of Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina, have repeatedly stated that he wishes to see the RS dismantled. [4] [5] Miroslav Lajčák, former High Representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, has responded to this by saying that "Republika Srpska does not have the right to secede from BiH, at the same time no one can unilaterally abolish Republika Srpska." [6]

In 2025, The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Dodik in a first-instance verdict to one year in prison and imposed a six-year ban on him serving the post of president of the country’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity. Dodik was found guilty of non-compliance with the decisions of the High Representative of the international community in the country. [7] His prison sentence was subsequently commuted to a fine but his appeal was rejected. [8] [9]

Serbia-Republika Srpska relations

In 1997, the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations was signed between the two on February 28, 1997. A council has been established to bolster relations, in which presidents and prime ministers participate. The Agreement was implemented December 15, 2010. [10] So far, four councils have been held.

On July 26, 2010, the Serbian Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinović and her Republika Srpska counterpart Aleksandar Džombić signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Financial Sector, which will further develop mutual relations in the financial system. It will bolster the already good cooperation between the two, and help to maintain special parallel relations and enable exchange of experience, also discussing other sections. The working groups will convene at least twice a year. [11]

Kosovo's unilateral proclamation of independence

On July 31, 2011, President Milorad Dodik said that the concept of a multi-ethnic state in Kosovo has failed, and that the solving of the Kosovo question has not been dealt with, stressing that Republika Srpska does not accept Kosovo as an independent country. Dodik said "The peaceful solution is evidently not a possible solution [...] We support Belgrade." in relation to the Kosovo Police operation trying to take control of border crossings located in North Kosovo on July 25. [12]

References

  1. "Bosnia and Herzegovina - Administrative Law & Procedure". Foreign Law Guide. 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Republika Srpska". ohr.int. Office of the High Representative.
  3. Ker-Lindsay, James (2016). "The Hollow Threat of Secession in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Legal and Political Impediments to a Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Republika Srpska" (PDF). lse.ac.uk.
  4. "Bosnian Sackings". BBC . 2004-07-13. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  5. "Bosnian Elections". BBC News. 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  6. "Existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be questioned". EUSR / OHR. 2008-01-30. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  7. "Dodik sentenced to a year in prison and banned from serving as RS president". N1 info. February 26, 2025.
  8. Melez, Selma (12 August 2025). "Bosnian Court Commutes Milorad Dodik's Jail Sentence to a Fine". Balkan Insight.
  9. "Milorad Dodik više nije predsjednik Republike Srpske, Sud BiH odbio njegovu žalbu". Klix. 18 August 2025.
  10. "Successful implementation of agreement on special, parallel relations :: EMG :: Business news from Serbia 2010". Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  11. "Serbia, Republika Srpska improve relations in financial sector". Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
  12. "Dodik: Kosovsko pitanje nije rešeno". B92.net.