With the official election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina set to begin in three days, citizens are once again witnessing a familiar pattern of early campaigning. Political figures from neighboring countries are frequently attending rallies to support their counterparts in Bosnia, further complicating the pre-election atmosphere.

Vehid Sehic, President of the Strategic Board of the “Pod Lupom” coalition and former CEC member, commented on the intense nature of elections in Bosnia, describing them as a “life-or-death struggle” due to the power and financial security that political positions provide. He criticized the prolonged tenure of many politicians since 1996, pointing out that despite their high earnings, they have failed to deliver tangible progress for citizens.

Sehic also emphasized the need for modernizing the election process, advocating for the introduction of biometric voter identification by 2026 to prevent fraud and ensure that election results reflect the true will of the voters, rather than the interests of political entities.

Dusan Janjic from the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade discussed the frequent visits by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to specific regions of Bosnia, often bypassing official state institutions. He noted that these visits are part of a long-standing practice of “bilateral caretaking,” where each leader focuses on their respective ethnic groups in Bosnia. Janjic suggested that while these visits might boost local political figures like Milorad Dodik, they ultimately serve to reinforce the longstanding policies of HDZ and Vucic's administration, which have remained unchanged since 2000.