He stressed that 2025 had been the most difficult, complex and risky year for Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the war in the 1990s.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was on the verge of war in 2025, and Milorad Dodik was prepared to spill blood and ignite a conflict in the country, Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković said, BGNES reported.
He stressed that 2025 had been the most difficult, complex and risky year for Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the war in the 1990s.
In an interview with N1 television, Konaković said that at a certain point the former president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, found himself in a dead-end situation and was ready “to spill blood and start a war.” According to him, the crisis was defused thanks to the rational conduct of some political actors and ultimately ended in courtrooms rather than on the streets.
Konaković defended the decision of the ruling “Troika” — the coalition of People and Justice (NiP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Our Party — to end its partnership at the state level with Dodik’s party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD). He said that after March, Dodik had deliberately obstructed the country’s European path on instructions from Moscow. Konaković described the move as bold and responsible, leading to Dodik’s political isolation and legal prosecution.
The minister also criticised the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), arguing that if the party were genuinely pro-European, it should have supported the removal of SNSD officials from state institutions. In his view, HDZ’s conduct has been a key factor behind the delay in launching EU accession talks.
Regarding legislative blockades, Konaković said there is a majority in the House of Representatives to pass key laws, but that SNSD has been blocking them in the House of Peoples through boycotts. He underlined that fear of Dodik and HDZ leader Dragan Čović is irrational and that the “Troika” acted in the interest of the state rather than for political positions.
Looking ahead to the upcoming elections, Konaković said the “Troika” backs the candidacy of Denis Bećirović for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that he has demonstrated the ability to act decisively and responsibly amid an intense nationalist campaign. Attempts to fragment the vote through multiple candidates, he added, would not change the final outcome. | BGNES