Presidential elections in RS

Narrow win of Dodik’s candidate is a Pyrrhic victory

Dodik can cling to power for a little longer, but the fact that the main opposition candidate Blanuša won more than 48 percent of votes shows that citizens of RS want changes.

A press conference by the Central Election Commission of BIH, 23 November, 2025; Photo: @IZBORI_BA /X

BANJA LUKA – The outcome of the snap presidential elections is a clear sign that a great number citizens of BiH entity Republika Srpska is unsatisfied with the policies led by the former President Milorad Dodik, note the analysts for EWB, commenting on the narrow win by Dodik’s candidate Siniša Karan in the election race on 23 November.

It is estimated that Dodik can cling to power for a little longer, but the fact that the main opposition candidate Branko Blanuša won more than 48 percent of votes, while Karan was supported by a little more than 50 percent of the voters, indicates a shift in the public support.

The early elections were called after the Central Election Commission decided to revoke Milorad Dodik’s mandate as President of the RS. He had previously been convicted by the top Court of BiH for refusing to implement decisions issued in 2023 by the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, and was banned from holding political office for six years.

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