Who runs local government in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina is made up of two entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska – plus the self-governing Brčko District. The Federation is divided into 10 cantons, each with its own constitution, assembly and government; Republika Srpska has no cantons. About 140 municipalities and cities sit under them, with directly elected mayors and councils (last elected in October 2024). Neighbourhoods and villages form mjesne zajednice (local communities).
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Federal (decentralised) state with two entities · South-eastern Europe
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Entities (2): Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska | Each has a directly elected parliament, president and government | Most powers of a state: police, health, education laws, local government law. |
| Brčko District | Directly elected assembly, which elects the mayor; an international supervisor oversaw the district under the 1999 arbitral award | Runs all local and most entity-type services in its area. |
| Cantons (10, Federation only) | Cantonal assembly directly elected; it elects the cantonal government and premier | Education, police, culture, health, spatial planning. |
| Municipalities and cities (about 80 in the Federation, about 64 in Republika Srpska) | Municipal council and mayor directly elected for four years | Local services, planning, utilities, local roads. |
| Local communities – mjesne zajednice | Councils chosen by residents under each municipality's statute | Represent villages and neighbourhoods, organise small works and community events. |
Three questions about local power in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Are local leaders elected?
Municipal councils and mayors are directly elected in both entities; cantonal and entity parliaments are elected; cantonal premiers and the Brčko mayor are elected by their assemblies. The High Representative is appointed by the international Peace Implementation Council.
Which laws set up local government?
The Dayton constitution (Annex 4), entity and cantonal constitutions, the Federation's Law on Principles of Local Self-Government and Republika Srpska's Law on Local Self-Government. Religious influence is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters choose councils and mayors and can recall mayors. Entity ministries and courts check legality. The international High Representative has used 'Bonn powers' to impose laws and remove officials, including over local government (for example the 2004 statute of the City of Mostar).
Traditional and customary authority
No customary authority exists in law. The Islamic Community, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church are closely linked to the three main peoples and are socially and politically influential, but they have no formal role in local government.
Community and neighbourhood power
Mjesne zajednice are a legacy of Yugoslav self-management: almost every village and urban neighbourhood has one, with a council that speaks for residents to the municipality, sometimes manages a community hall, and often depends on small municipal grants. Displaced persons' associations and veterans' groups are also active locally.
Points to know
- The Federation has three levels of government below the state (entity, canton, municipality); Republika Srpska has two (entity, municipality).
- Sarajevo city stretches across the inter-entity boundary line.
- Cantons differ: three have a Croat majority, five a Bosniak majority and two are mixed.
- Mostar held no local elections between 2008 and 2020 because of a dispute over its electoral rules.
Local terms
- Entity
- One of the two main political-territorial units created by the Dayton Agreement.
- Canton (kanton/županija)
- Federal unit within the Federation of BiH, with its own constitution.
- Mjesna zajednica
- Local community: village or neighbourhood body with a residents' council.
Sources
- Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Annex 4, Dayton Agreement) (1995, rev. 2009), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (local elections 2024), Centralna izborna komisija BiH, checked 14 October 2026
- The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Office of the High Representative, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Bosnia and Herzegovina's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.