Associate of pro-Russian Dodik becomes interim president of Republika Srpska

On October 18, the Parliament of Republika Srpska, which is part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, appointed Ana Trišić-Babić as interim president. By doing so, it officially acknowledged for the first time that the former head of the state, Milorad Dodik, was stepping down after a court banned him from politics, reported Reuters.

Trišić-Babić, a close ally of Dodik, will hold this position for one month, until new presidential elections are held in Republika Srpska on November 23.

The parliament also annulled a number of separatist laws that were passed in 2024 after Dodik was accused of disobeying the decisions of the High Representative (an international official with broad powers in Bosnia) and the Constitutional Court.

Dodik is a pro-Russian nationalist who wants Republika Srpska to secede from Bosnia and join Serbia. So far, the politician has refused to resign and has continued to perform his duties and travel abroad as president. He is appealing the decision against him in the Constitutional Court.

The former president said that despite the parliament's vote, Republika Srpska would not change its policy and noted that the secession of the state entity remained its ultimate goal. However, he added that he had to take the step of appointing a president in coordination with foreign partners.

The U.S. State Department welcomed the decision to appoint an interim president, saying it was the result of Washington's efforts "to defuse the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina."

"The United States welcomes today’s Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) action that affirms stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will also chart a course for constructive partnership with the United States based on mutual interests, economic potential, and shared prosperity," Brendan Hanrahan, the State Department's senior official for European and Eurasian Affairs, told the media.

The day before, on October 17, the US Treasury Department announced that it had removed four of Dodik's associates from the sanctions list. The politician, who had been campaigning for the lifting of US restrictions on himself, welcomed the decision.

Dodik was sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for obstructing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia in the 1990s. Several European countries have also imposed sanctions on the politician, who believes that his separatist policies threaten peace and stability in Bosnia.

• In March, Dodik appealed to Russia with a request for help after the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a warrant for his arrest for encroachment on the state constitutional order.
• In April, the politician said he would not resign as president of Republika Srpska and would not leave the country.
• In the same month, the State Agency for Investigation and Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to arrest Dodik, as the armed police of Republika Srpska stood in the way.
• In August, the CEC of Bosnia deprived Dodik the mandate of the president of Republika Srpska.