Hungary’s Foreign Minister reaffirms support for Milorad Dodik amid rising tensions in Bosnia

Szijjarto emphasised that Hungary respects leaders elected by the will of the people, including Dodik, and condemned what he described as foreign interference in Balkan affairs. “Who should lead Republika Srpska is a question for its people, not for Budapest, Brussels or Berlin,” he said, adding that sanctions and outside pressures have only fueled instability in the Western Balkans. He described current measures against RS leaders as a “witch hunt directed from abroad” and insisted that sovereign, patriotic leaders should not be undermined.

Dodik used the press conference to double down on controversial rhetoric, once again signalling that Republika Srpska could move toward independence, something that is unconstitutional under Bosnia and Herzegovina’s framework. He thanked Hungary for what he called “understanding and attention,” while criticising Bosnia as a “problematic creation” imposed by the international community after the war. He further rejected the authority of Bosnia’s Constitutional Court and repeated claims that his recent conviction was the result of “political persecution.”

The RS leader also took aim at the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and the EUFOR mission in Bosnia, accusing them of siding with Bosniak political parties and describing their presence as “occupation.” He dismissed High Representative Christian Schmidt as illegitimate, claiming his mandate was backed only by “the Biden administration and Brussels bureaucrats,” and reiterated his long-standing demand for the OHR’s closure.

Dodik was recently handed a one-year prison sentence and a six-year ban on political activity for failing to implement the decisions of the High Representative. He avoided prison by paying a fine of 36,500 Bosnian marks (approximately €18,650) and has since announced plans for a referendum in which RS citizens would decide on the legitimacy of his mandate. Despite the binding legal rulings against him, Dodik maintains he was chosen by the people and only they can remove him from office.

The latest statements highlight growing tensions between Republika Srpska’s leadership and state institutions in Sarajevo, as well as increasing friction between Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of the international community.