The Dayton accords split Bosnia into autonomous halves – a Muslim-Croat federation and the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska – connected by a central government under the supervision of the high representative.
The high representative holds vast powers in Bosnia – including the ability to effectively fire political leaders and strip them of power.
Dodik, the current Republika Srpska president, pushed through two laws in 2023 previously annulled by Schmidt.
The legislation refused to recognise decisions made by the high representative and Bosnia’s constitutional court in the Serbian entity.
For years, Dodik has pursued a relentless separatist agenda that has put him on collision course with Bosnia’s institutions.
The Republika Srpska president has repeatedly threatened to pull the Serb statelet out of Bosnia’s central institutions – including its army, judiciary and tax system, which has led to sanctions from the United States.
