Milorad Dodik announces plans for new Republika Srpska Constitution and capital city designation

Speaking to Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS), Dodik stated that the new constitution should be modern, respect the constituent status of peoples, and prevent abuses of the entity's functioning.

"No one will suppress Serbs, Croats, or Bosniaks, but it will enable a democratically qualified majority to be reflected through a single system," Dodik said. He added that if the document is not finalized by 9 January, it will be proclaimed on another date.

Republika Srpska marks 9 January as RS Day, a holiday declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the grounds that it discriminates against non-Serb communities in the entity.

The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) leader also outlined constitutional changes regarding the entity's official capital, pointing out that the current constitution lists Sarajevo as the capital city.

"Imagine, currently it states that it is Sarajevo. The capital of RS is Sarajevo, not Istocno Sarajevo, but federal Sarajevo. Therefore, we will establish Banja Luka as the capital of RS and Pale as its royal capital," Dodik noted.

Commenting on international relations, Dodik claimed RS maintains friends both regionally and globally, expressing expectations for an election victory by Aleksandar Vučić in Serbia.

"Likewise, we expect the structure of [US President] Donald Trump in the US to stabilize further, while with Russia we have no reason whatsoever to compromise our very good and stable relations," Dodik asserted. He also announced that a high-level RS delegation will visit China before the end of the year.

Furthermore, he referenced cooperation with Israel and political allies across Europe, highlighting support for Marine Le Pen in France and Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Critical of the European Union, Dodik accused the bloc with repeatedly violating the Constitution of BiH, particularly to the detriment of Serbs and RS. He maintained that RS remains open to European integration provided its position and visibility are fully recognized within the process.