EditDodik threatens with escalation in Bosnia, starting with referendum to dismiss his conviction
The referendum, seen as unconstitutional by experts, would be the first step toward a broader independence vote by the end of the year
Republika Srpska’s (RS) President Milorad Dodik threatened on Monday (18 August) that Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) could face political escalation, announcing that citizens of RS will vote in a referendum at the end of September to dismiss the court ruling against him.
Dodik said the referendum would be the first step toward a broader independence vote by the end of the year if no political agreement is reached at the state level.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected Dodik’s appeal against the decision of the Central Election Commission (CIK), which stripped him of his presidential mandate, Bosnian media reported. As a result of this ruling, Dodik no longer officially holds the office of president, and the Election Commission is obliged to call early elections for the entity’s head of state. In the meantime, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković submitted his resignation.
Аt a press conference in Banja Luka, Dodik framed the referendum as a response to what he described as the collapse of the Dayton Peace Agreement, accusing Bosniak political forces of undermining Bosnia’s post-war settlement through the judiciary and international oversight.
“We are not looking for conflicts, but for freedom and respect, which is achieved through a referendum and the adoption of the Declaration on Self-Determination. That is our message – return us to the Dayton Peace Agreement. We will give our opinion at the referendum to be held at the end of September,” Dodik declared.
He said that citizens of Republika Srpska would first be asked to express their opinion on the verdict of the Court of BiH against him, and if no agreement followed at the state level, a referendum on independence of Republika Srpska would be launched within 90 days.
Dodik described BiH as a “non-existent state” and argued that the Dayton framework was effectively void. According to him, the Bosniak side had “abused the unconstitutional Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office,” while certain Serb officials acted under foreign pressure, enabling what he called a “quasi-judicial decision” that eliminated the RS position.
He insisted that the entire peace settlement had been dismantled beyond repair and added that Republika Srpska had erred in signing Dayton in 1995, calling it a “delusion” of the Serbian people.
The RS leader dismissed both the authority of High Representative Christian Schmidt and the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), labeling them “the biggest hoax” and an “ad hoc group.” “Reject the decisions of the fake High Representative and we can return to the conversation. BiH is now under occupation,” he stated, while noting that the new US administration’s stance was that “countries should decide their own fate.”
Dodik, who faces a one-year prison sentence and a six-year ban from holding public office following a conviction for failing to implement the High Representative’s decisions, reiterated that he would not step down. “I am addressing the people of RS, do not defend me, defend Republika Srpska,” he said, rejecting the verdict as a judgment against the entity itself. He added there would be no early presidential elections if his mandate was revoked, warning that RS would resist any outside intervention. He also called on EUFOR to deploy along the inter-entity boundary line in case of unrest. “I am putting myself at the head of the national and popular movement for the liberation of RS from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he concluded.
The referendum plans also include a vote on whether citizens of RS accept the authority of the international High Representative in Bosnia.
The timing is highly sensitive, as the Central Election Commission of BiH recently moved to terminate Dodik’s mandate following the appeal court’s confirmation of his conviction earlier this month.
His lawyers have filed appeals, including a request to replace the prison sentence with a fine of BAM 36,500 (€18,700). The Appeals Chamber of the BiH Court ruled against him, which determined that Dodik loses his mandate.
If the court upholds the Central Election Commission’s decision, early elections for the RS presidency would need to be held within 90 days, with the newly elected official serving until Bosnia’s general elections scheduled for October next year.
The case has drawn widespread attention, as it is the first time since the end of the 1992-1995 war that a sitting RS president has faced criminal conviction and potential removal from office.
Bosnia, divided under the Dayton framework into two highly autonomous entities – Republika Srpska, dominated by ethnic Serbs, and the Federation of BiH, home to Bosniaks and Croats, remains reliant on the High Representative’s sweeping powers to ensure state functionality.
Constitutional experts note that while the BiH Constitution does not explicitly prohibit or permit referenda, no sub-state entity has the authority to call a referendum affecting the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, Dodik and his allies in RS argue that the termination of his mandate is unconstitutional under entity law, which stipulates that a president’s mandate ends only in cases of resignation or impeachment.
The 66-year-old nationalist leader, who has held senior political positions for nearly three decades and maintains close ties with Moscow, has repeatedly threatened secession in recent years. His calls for detachment from BiH and unification with Serbia have raised concerns in Brussels, Paris, Berlin and Washington that renewed instability could undermine fragile peace in the Western Balkans.
Earlier in the day, RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković, a member of Dodik’s ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), resigned without providing reasons, announcing that a new cabinet would be formed. “We have decided that a new government of Republika Srpska will be elected,” Višković told a press conference after a meeting at the presidency of the Serb-dominated entity. He said he would remain in the party but take on a different role.
Višković, who has been prime minister since 2018, has often faced criticism from the opposition over the management of RS resources and his approach to state-level institutions. Since 2023, he has been under US sanctions for undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement and threatening Bosnia’s sovereignty. The US Treasury said he was responsible for “supporting the adoption of legislation in the RS parliament that rejects the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, thereby undermining and threatening the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
On 17 August, Dodik claimed that he had received assurances from US officials that Washington would reconsider its stance on Bosnia and RS leaders. “We have the support of people from America who say: ‘Wait a little, you cannot give up the fight, everything over the last 30 years was wrong, America has a responsibility to change its attitude.’ I am telling you this publicly because the promises I received were categorical,” Dodik said.
Earlier Dodik had said he would seek help from both Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Bosnian Serb leader Dodik vows to defy political ban, write to Trump
Russia has warned that BiH risks making a “historical mistake” by sidelining Dodik instead of engaging in dialogue about the country’s future.
Russian Embassy in Sarajevo issues stark warning after Dodik’s removal
Sources: BETA, BGNES, BTA
More BiH coverage here.
Caption: President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik addresses supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during a rally in Belgrade, Serbia, 12 April 2025. Following student-led protests sparked by the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad Railway Station canopy on 01 November 2024, which left sixteen people dead, Serbian President Vucic called on his supporters to attend a multi-day rally titled ‘We Stand for Serbia’ to show support for his leadership. EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC
Updated: August 19, 2025 - 05:54
