Bosnian officials congratulate Magyar, Republika Srpska entity leadership silent

Congratulatory messages were sent by BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic and Croat HDZ BiH party leader Dragan Covic.

“As Bosnia and Herzegovina continues on its course, I look forward to strong cooperation and good relations between our governments and peoples in the coming period,” Covic wrote on X.

Konakovic said the result could mark the start of improved bilateral relations, expressing hope for a new chapter based on mutual respect, genuine partnership and shared European values.

Relations between Sarajevo and Budapest have long been strained after Orbán’s government openly backed former Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik.

Hungary opposed EU-level discussions on sanctions against Dodik at a time when he threatened RS secession and, through unconstitutional legislation in 2025, pushed BiH to the brink of armed conflict.

Dodik, who often highlighted his close ties with Orbán, even took part in his election campaign, urging Serbs in Hungary to support Fidesz.

Ties further deteriorated in 2024 when Hungary refused at the UN General Assembly to support a resolution declaring 11 July an international day of remembrance for the Srebrenica genocide.

Konakovic subsequently cancelled planned cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries on training BiH diplomats, assigning the work to the Czech Republic, and said cooperation with Hungary would be limited to what was necessary.

The only RS official to comment on the Hungarian election was the entity's parliament speaker Nenad Stevandic, a close ally of Dodik, who acknowledged Orbán had “lost the political battle” but praised his role in promoting “European sovereigntism”, anti-migration and anti-war policies, as well as Serbian-Hungarian ties.

Igor Crnadak, head of the opposition Democratic Progress Party group in the RS parliament, also congratulated Magyar, expressing hope the result would inspire political change in Republika Srpska in elections scheduled for October.

“The people of Hungary took matters into their own hands, ensured high turnout and chose change. Republika Srpska is ready for the same on 4 October,” Crnadak said.