Political turmoil in Republika Srpska stalls Bosnia’s EU accession efforts

The European Commission adopted its annual Enlargement Package on Tuesday, offering a detailed assessment of how candidate and potential candidate countries have advanced over the past year. This year’s report reiterates that EU enlargement remains a top strategic priority and that the prospect of new Member States joining the Union is becoming increasingly tangible.

“On a positive note, Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its Reform Agenda to the European Commission in September 2025. Following the recent institutional changes within the Republika Srpska entity, the country now has an opportunity to make tangible progress on its reform path toward the EU,” the report notes.

To formally open accession negotiations, the European Commission noted, Bosnian authorities must first finalise and adopt judicial reform laws fully aligned with EU standards and appoint a chief negotiator to lead the process.