Covic also dismissed claims by the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) that the current partners of the HDZ BiH, led by the SDP BiH, favour ethnic Croats.

“We were not outvoted at any of the government sessions, and that is the right way. Some things are done more slowly because of that, but trust is being restored,” Covic said in an interview with Radio-Television HercegBosna.

The new government of the Bosniak-Croat Federation entity was established in April 2023 after the HDZ BiH ended its cooperation with the biggest Bosniak party, the SDA, after almost 30 years. Since then the SDA has been objecting that the bloc comprising Bosniak and civic parties has been giving in to its partner the HDZ BiH, giving it positions in the government and weakening the Bosniak camp. The accusations against the SDP-led Bosniak-civic bloc have grown stronger ahead of local elections set for October this year.

At the time of the partnership between the SDA and the HDZ BiH, Bosniak ministers frequently outvoted Croats, which regularly caused crises and tensions.

Covic said BiH Croats wanted to be fully equal to the other two constituent ethnic groups, Bosniaks and Serbs. “We are yet to get many of the things that belong to us as a constituent people,” he said, adding that those who object to the appointment of Croat representatives to BiH institutions “do not want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be the way it should be.”