IN THIS EPISODE
On October 4, Bosnia and Herzegovina held its first general election using biometric voter identification and optical ballot scanners, introduced to curb fraud. It was also the first vote since Washington lifted sanctions on Milorad Dodik and his network.
Turnout fell to a record low of about 40 percent, and nearly every major party lost votes. Even so, nationalist parties won in all three communities. For the first time, Dodik’s and Čović’s parties will both hold seats in the state presidency, and both leaders say neither will govern without the other. Meanwhile, the EU path remains stalled despite Bosnia’s candidate status and the decision to open accession talks. The results raise hard questions about accountability, election integrity, and the future of civil society.
In this #BalkansDebrief episode, Ilva Tare, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, speaks with Ivana Korajlić, executive director of Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her team monitored the campaign from its start through the vote count.
Did new technology make fraud harder, or just move it to pre-election hiring and public spending? Has anyone been held accountable for past irregularities? How was the lifting of US sanctions received on the ground? Does EU conditionality still work? What is the one signal to watch in the next six months?
ABOUT #BALKANSDEBRIEF
#BalkansDebrief is an online interview series presented by the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and hosted by journalist Ilva Tare. The program offers a fresh look at the Western Balkans and examines the region’s people, culture, challenges, and opportunities.
Watch #BalkansDebrief on YouTube and listen to it as a Podcast.
MEET THE #BALKANSDEBRIEF HOST
The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.