Bosnia And Herzegovina flagPolitics & Government Guide

Political system, governance structure, stability indicators, and democratic institutions in Bosnia And Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina operates as a complex federal parliamentary republic under the Dayton Agreement, with a tripartite presidency and a Council of Ministers navigating ethnic divisions. The current government, formed in 2023, faces persistent challenges from entity-level disputes and EU integration hurdles. Political stability remains fragile amid decentralization and electoral reforms.

Government Type

Federal parliamentary republic

Legal System

Civil law system with entity-level variations

Head of State

Presidency (collective, rotating chair) Željka Cvijanović (current chair, Serb member)(since 2022)

Head of Government

Chair of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krišto(HDZ BiH)since 2023

Legislature

Type:bicameral
Upper House:House of Peoples (15 seats)
Lower House:House of Representatives (42 seats)

Major Political Parties

Party of Democratic Action(SDA)

Bosniak, conservative

8 seats
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats(SNSD)

Serb, populist

6 seats
Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina(SDP BiH)

Centre-left

5 seats
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina(HDZ BiH)

Croat, centre-right

4 seats

Voting Rights

Citizens vote in all elections; ethnic quotas apply for Presidency and House of Peoples

Recent Developments

  • Electoral law changes by High Representative in 2022 enabled government formation in 2023
  • State-level Council of Ministers formed in April 2023 after prolonged deadlock
  • Ongoing EU accession negotiations advanced with reforms in 2024
Voting Age18
SuffrageUniversal for citizens
Constitution1995
Entities and district3