Bosnian political analyst and university professor Enver Kazaz has sparked controversy after calling on the country’s ruling coalition to accept a disputed electoral reform plan backed by the nationalist Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), even if it means losing the next election or disappearing from the political scene.
Speaking on Radiotelevision of Herzeg-Bosnia (RTV HB), a broadcaster seen as closely aligned with the HDZ, Kazaz said that the “Trojka” coalition – consisting of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), People and Justice (NiP), and Our Party (NS) – should embrace the HDZ’s proposals for reforming Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complex election law system.
Kazaz described the current moment as a “historic opportunity” to reach a lasting political compromise between Bosniak and Croat leaders, urging the Trojka to show political courage and make what he called “the most state-building move since the Dayton Peace Agreement” ended Bosnia’s 1992–95 war.
“If they fail to act courageously, they will have betrayed the country. But a brave decision now could resolve everything,” Kazaz said, adding that a proposal exists that balances ethnic group protections with the rights of individual citizens. He did not provide further details, citing the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations.
Kazaz’s appearance and remarks drew backlash, especially for his strong criticism of Željko Komšić, the Croat member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, who was elected primarily by Bosniak voters. Komšić is opposed by the HDZ, which claims his election violates the rights of Croats as one of the country’s three constituent peoples.
Kazaz accused Komšić of promoting “militant Bosniak nationalism of the worst kind” and described him as the country’s most damaging political figure since 2006. He called for an end to what he described as the “Komšić project” and echoed rhetoric used by Croatian President Zoran Milanović, who has frequently criticized Komšić’s presidency.
Kazaz also said the image of HDZ leader Dragan Čović as a “demon” among Bosniaks should be changed, and advocated for a unified political front between Čović and Trojka leader Nermin Nikšić. He praised Čović’s role in maintaining political stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, contrasting it with what he called Komšić’s “anti-Western hysteria” and diminishing influence on the international stage.
Discussing Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity, Kazaz said its president Milorad Dodik has become detached from reality, blaming his long grip on power and poor advice from his inner circle. He warned that Dodik’s current trajectory could destabilize the region.
Kazaz concluded by expressing support for a new political alignment that would include the Trojka, their allies in Republika Srpska, and the HDZ, calling it “the only viable way out of the institutional crisis” that has long hampered Bosnia’s governance.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has struggled with political deadlock and ethnic tensions rooted in the power-sharing arrangements of the Dayton Accords, which created a complex system dividing authority among the country’s three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. Electoral reform, particularly the method by which ethnic representatives are chosen, remains one of the country’s most contentious political issues.
