RS entity PM unveils new cabinet amid legal uncertainty

Speaking in Banja Luka, Minic said the new government is expected to be confirmed at a special session of the Republika Srpska National Assembly (NSRS) scheduled for Sunday, January 18. He described the reshuffle as a continuation of the mandate granted in 2022 and insisted it demonstrates political stability and an uninterrupted executive authority.

Nearly half of the ministers will be replaced, with five new names entering the cabinet. “No one is irreplaceable, including myself,” Minic said, adding that the government’s programme will be adjusted to the remainder of the mandate ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Minic announced the following new ministers: Draga Mastilovic (scientific and technological development and higher education), Radenko Bubic (economy and entrepreneurship), Ned Puhovac (trade and tourism), Radan Ostojić (labour and veterans’ affairs) and Irena Ignjatovic (family, youth and sports). He said two of the new ministers are non-party figures.

The NSRS session will focus on the resignation of the current prime minister, after which Minic is expected to be reappointed. The move comes ahead of a pending ruling by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the legality of the RS government, making Minic’s position legally contested.

Opposition figures criticised the move, warning that the reshuffle deepens the political crisis in Republika Srpska and reflects continued disregard for constitutional and legal constraints.