Thewesternbalkans.
According to local media, on 18 August, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected Milorad Dodik’s appeal against the Central Election Commission’s decision to revoke his mandate as President of Republika Srpska. Such a ruling means that Dodik’s mandate was officially terminated. However, Dodik has rejected it and announced that a referendum on his position would be organised in the RS.
The National Assembly of Republika Srpska has scheduled a republican referendum for October 25, 2025, at which citizens will be able to express their opinion on the decisions of the High Representative Christian Schmidt, the decision of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina against President Milorad Dodik, and the decision of the Central Election Commission to revoke his mandate.
Comments: Dodik was convicted earlier this month for refusing to implement decisions issued in 2023 by the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt. He launched multiple appeals to various courts to overturn the loss of his office, but the Court of BiH upheld the CEC decision on 18-th of August.
Dodik will try to cling to power, but a referendum in Republika Srpska would not be a way out of the long-standing political crisis in this entity.
Milorad Dodik’s manoeuvring space for action is significantly narrowed. The referendum would be annulled by the Constitutional Court of BiH. On the other hand, Dodik lost some of the public support because he tripped over a series of inconsistent political decisions.
On 23 August, Dodik signalled that Republika Srpska was ready to make concessions. He stated that Republika Srpska remained committed to the Dayton Peace Agreement, but rejected all imposed decisions that had led to a constitutional and political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He indicated that if they were repealed, the Serbian authorities were ready to review some recently adopted laws in order to stabilise the political situation and create a comfortable environment for all citizens. Dodik stressed that Republika Srpska would not tolerate humiliation, but remained committed to the peace and community of the future people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is entirely possible that tensions in the RS will continue to rise due to the lack of rule of law in the country and especially considering recent geopolitical developments. This will largely depend on the concrete actions to implement the Central Election Commissio
