Pro-Russian Dodik claims party victory in Bosnian elections
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Pro-Russian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik declared his party the winner in Bosnia and Herzegovina's elections held on Oct. 4.
Dodik was not on the ballot, but Zeljka Cvijanovic from his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) party is poised to retain her seat in the country's tripartite presidency, according to preliminary results.
The Balkan country held elections for the presidency, shared among the Croat, Serb, and Bosniak ethnic groups, as well as for regional and cantonal governments, under a complex political system established after the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.
"If it had not been for (U.S. President) Donald Trump's magnificent victory, we would probably be political corpses today," Dodik told his supporters, while also thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin, who voiced support for the SNSD before the elections.
Dodik, known for his separatist and pro-Moscow views, served as the president of Republika Srpska — Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity — between 2022 and 2025.
In 2025, he was stripped of office and barred from running for six years for defying the country's international envoy.
With over 95% of the votes counted, Denis Becirovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH) is set to retain his Bosniak seat in the presidency, and Bosnian Croat nationalist candidate Darijana Filipovic has claimed victory in the race for the Croat seat.
Dodik's SNSD is also expected to retain power in the Republika Srpska local parliament and presidency.
The vote was marked by a relatively low turnout, with 42% of voters casting ballots, down almost 10% from the 2022 elections.
