Making federalism work – A radical proposal for practical reform

This article offers a new constitutional proposal for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It outlines a practical process of reforms on which Bosnia’s politicians and citizens might actually agree.

Politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be punctuated by regular calls for fundamental constitutional reform. Some call for the disappearance of Republika Srpska. Some argue for a third Entity. Some advocate for a return to a unitary state, with administrative regions drawn according to historical or economic criteria. It seems that few people believe that the present system of municipalities, cantons, two entities, one district and a distant central government is capable of delivering the kind of government which Bosnia needs – that can lead the country out of its economic crisis and towards Europe.

However, all these constitutional proposals suffer from the same fundamental flaw: they fail to indicate how to move forward from a dysfunctional here to a funcional there. They do not begin from the current reality – from the constitutions, parliaments and governments which exist, and the real interests which lie behind them. Their supporters make no serious attempt to persuade anyone who does not already share their particular vision of Bosnia’s future. Nothing ever happens with these proposals, because nobody knows where to begin. As a result, many Bosnians feel trapped – dissatisfied with their present constitutional system, but unable to conceive of a practical way forward.

This paper offers a different kind of constitutional proposal. It was developed in recent months through extensive consultations with leading politicians and public figures across the country. Rather than offering a competing view of Bosnia’s ideal future, it outlines a practical process of reforms on which Bosnia’s politicians and citizens might actually agree.

To read the full article, please visit the

European Stability Initiativewebsite.