Cvijanovic in Dayton: Republika Srpska is defending the Dayton Agreement

“Dayton did not erase our differences—it provided organization. It did not impose unity—it gave structure,” Cvijanovic said, adding that the agreement ended a devastating war and offered a framework reflecting the country’s reality.

However, she warned that the agreement is now being distorted by unelected international actors who interpret and revise it without the consent of domestic institutions. Cvijanovic argued that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been subjected to a failed experiment in state-building, driven by foreign interventions lacking constitutional legitimacy.

She strongly criticised the Office of the High Representative, naming Christian Schmidt and his predecessors for imposing laws, suspending entity constitutions, and removing elected officials. “Dayton never gave the right to any foreign bureaucrat to remove leaders like Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik,” she said.

Cvijanovic also pointed to alleged abuses of the judiciary and political prosecutions, claiming that the current model of governance is incompatible with the new US administration under President Donald Trump. She expressed hope that the United States would support what she described as a return to constitutional order and democratic principles.

She noted that November 21—the day the Dayton Agreement was initialled—is a public holiday in Republika Srpska, but not in the Federation. She reaffirmed readiness for dialogue but only within the framework of the Constitution and with the consent of all parties.

“Let us renew what Dayton truly means: consensus, constitutionality, and cooperation among equals,” Cvijanovic concluded, calling for a lawful evolution of the agreement and sa tronger US partnership, especially in the energy and mineral sectors.