BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

A pro-Trump party in Bosnia and Herzegovina has successfully held onto a key governmental position, despite the leader’s prior conviction and notable challenges with the country’s new voting system.

Milorad Dodik, an ally of Trump and former president of Republika Srpska, leads the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), which claimed a decisive victory in the recent election. The preliminary results from the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina indicate that Željka Cvijanović, a close associate of Dodik, has secured another term as the Serb representative in Bosnia’s three-member presidency.

Cvijanović has previously held the roles of both prime minister and president of Republika Srpska, as mentioned in her official biography.

Dodik has consistently commended Trump for his global advocacy of Christian sovereignty. The region he once governed is one of the two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, established under the Dayton Peace Agreement facilitated by the U.S., alongside the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Without Donald Trump’s remarkable win and the elimination of the hated Biden administration, we would be politically finished today,” Dodik stated at a celebration rally. “Thanks to the new political landscape, we’re now winners.”

Dodik has been vocal about his support for Trump since the latter’s first presidential campaign.

“We never wavered in our support for him and his policies,” Dodik mentioned. “In the second campaign, after what we viewed as election fraud by the Biden team, they didn’t just cheat him; they cheated the whole world. We were truly pleased to see him come back to power.”

For Dodik, Trump’s return coincided with the easing of U.S. sanctions, the departure of Christian Schmidt—former international high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina—and now, another significant electoral win for Dodik’s political faction.

Beyond just praise, Dodik has actively urged Trump to play a pivotal role in shaping the political future of Republika Srpska.

Republika Srpska already wields substantial political authority under the Dayton framework, which assigns government functions not specifically allocated to national entities to the regions. However, Dodik aims for Republika Srpska to gain international recognition as an independent state.

“I’m appealing to them; I’m begging them,” he relayed through a translator during an interview. “If they could spare just five minutes to consider the situation here, everything would be clear.”

“I think we deserve that,” Dodik continued, saying he would still support Trump even if his pleas go unanswered.

Dodik has firmly maintained that any move for Republika Srpska to separate from Bosnia should happen peacefully, suggesting that American backing could significantly shift the political dynamics surrounding independence.

“Those are the only conditions we prefer. We do not wish for any conflict,” he emphasized. “All it would take is for the Americans to say, ‘Yes, go for it,’ and that would be justice without any force. Do you really think Muslims would dare to use force then? No, they wouldn’t.”

Cvijanović seemed to echo this sentiment just before the election, arguing that Republika Srpska deserves “the right to a referendum,” based on her pre-election speech.

Dodik has also been careful to balance relations with both Washington and Moscow, insisting that Republika Srpska shouldn’t have to choose between the two.

“Many say it’s impossible,” Dodik remarked, according to a translated transcript. “What is ‘impossible’? Is it so unattainable for us to keep the doors open to both America and Russia?”

Whatever unfolds next, Dodik is adamant that Trump has a chance to leave a lasting impact in the Balkans.

“That would be a significant, historic gesture from President Trump in the Balkans: to support our liberty, freedom, and independence,” Dodik had expressed in an earlier discussion.

This relationship is further complicated by the political turmoil that previously removed Dodik from the presidency of Republika Srpska.

In July 2023, Schmidt exercised his authority to unilaterally amend Bosnia’s criminal code, making it punishable by six months to five years in prison to ignore a decision from the high representative, as noted in his official decision.

Dodik ended up being the most prominent figure prosecuted under this new provision.

In February 2025, a court convicted Dodik for failing to implement the high representative’s decisions, sentencing him to one year in prison and barring him from serving as president of Republika Srpska for six years—the conviction was later upheld by an appeals panel.

Dodik and his supporters have likened his legal challenges to those Trump experienced in the United States.

“What they did to him is what they wanted to do to Trump: weaponize the justice system and bombard him with cases to criminalize him and hinder his political engagement, thereby preventing his re-election,” said Obrad Kesić, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambassador to the European Union.

The Central Election Commission officially ended Dodik’s presidential mandate in August 2025, following his election by voters in the 2022 general election.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted sanctions against Dodik and several other individuals linked to Republika Srpska in October 2025.

Schmidt also resigned earlier this summer, with Louis Crishock appointed as acting high representative the same day Schmidt’s resignation took effect.

Allegations about Dodik’s removal even reached politicians in Washington, with Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy advocating for an investigation into claims of interference in Republika Srpska’s democratic processes.

This electoral victory came amidst significant issues surrounding Bosnia’s first nationwide implementation of biometric voter identification, electronic ballot scanners, and the rapid electronic transmission of results.

Problems became evident right away. The Central Election Commission admitted on election morning that several polling stations had not opened on time due to scanner malfunctions.

“There are ways to address the major issues we faced at several polling locations; in such cases, we can always annul the elections and conduct them again within seven days,” Central Election Commission member Irena Hadžiabdić said during the voting. “However, that decision will be made later.”

Delays were especially pronounced in Republika Srpska, where out of 1,957 polling stations, 201 had yet to open by 7 a.m.

Voter turnout also appeared sluggish, with less than 27% of voters having cast ballots by mid-afternoon according to the Central Election Commission.

In spite of the technical difficulties, SNSD emerged victorious. Dodik claimed victory for the party on election night, and preliminary results indicated that SNSD remains the dominant political power in Republika Srpska.