Europe and the U.S. can do nothing with freedom-loving separatists.
The presidential elections in the Republic of Srpska were won by Sinisa Karan, supported by the ousted president Milorad Dodik. Experts say that, in essence, Dodik's rule has been extended. What does this mean for the RS and Bosnia as a whole?
Sinisa Karan, the candidate backed by the ruling party Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) of the ousted president of RS Milorad Dodik, celebrated success with his supporters. The opposition, however, rejected the official election results, accusing the SNSD of yet another alleged case of vote rigging. And this, the opposition pointed out, happens in every election in the Republic of Srpska.
According to SNSD representatives, the voting results show that the Office of the High Representative (OHR), tasked with ensuring compliance with the Dayton Agreements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is not welcomed in the Republic of Srpska.
Milorad Dodik Winning Again?
The early presidential elections in RS took place almost exactly three months after the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina removed Milorad Dodik from the presidency, a position he held since November 2022 and from 2010 to 2018.
In February, a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and banned him from engaging in any political activity for six years. The reason was his disregard for the decisions of the High Representative for BiH Christian Schmidt and Dodik's separatist policies aimed at separating the Republic of Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The former president avoided imprisonment by paying a fine.
With the lifting of U.S. sanctions, he has found himself winning again, observers believe. Moreover, in their opinion, the decision of the United States to lift sanctions on Dodik also dealt a blow to the authority of Schmidt and the Office of the High Representative, which no longer seems to enjoy the support of the current Washington administration.
Now in the Republic of Srpska "Two Dodiks"
Milorad Dodik himself believes that all those who tried to remove him from power have "received two Dodiks." "These elections took place under unfavorable conditions and with the interference of external forces," he stated, calling the election results a major victory. "This is a victory for the Republic of Srpska and a demonstration of its stability."
The elected president Sinisa Karan is considered by many to be a political puppet of Milorad Dodik. He will hold the presidency for one year - until the next regular elections, during which three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the presidents of its two entities - the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - will be elected in the fall of 2026.
For his part, Karan called for calm, stability, and resistance to foreign influence on Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina: "The Serbian people have given their final answer, saying 'No' to any foreigner or usurper trying to change their will."
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