Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity · 10 cantons
The Federation of BiH is one of the two entities. It consists of ten cantons with their own constitutions, assemblies and governments. Federal, cantonal and local institutions have different responsibilities, shared in some areas.
Institutions and how they are chosen
- Parliament of FBiH98 representatives + 80 delegates
Legislative authority: the House of Representatives and House of Peoples adopt federal laws and the budget; both houses participate in the legislative procedure.
Election / appointment: The House of Representatives is directly elected. Cantonal assemblies elect the House of Peoples: 23 delegates from each of the three constituent peoples and 11 from the Others.
- President and two Vice Presidents of FBiH3 offices
Executive authority: participate in appointing the federal Government and other constitutional functions; they are not cantonal presidents.
Election / appointment: Indirect election: nominations begin in the constituent-peoples’ caucuses of the House of Peoples, and the parliamentary procedure for electing a joint list has constitutionally prescribed deadlines and fallback mechanisms.
- Government of FBiH
Executive authority: the prime minister and ministers implement federal laws, propose the budget and manage the federal administration.
Election / appointment: Normally appointed by the President with the consent of both Vice Presidents, and confirmed by a majority in the House of Representatives. If this fails, further deadlines and a special procedure under Amendment CXXXI apply, involving both houses; it is not correct that both houses always confirm the Government.
- Constitutional Court of FBiH
Constitutional protection: reviews constitutionality within its powers, resolves disputes over responsibilities and protects the right to local self-government. A special panel decides vital national interest cases.
Election / appointment: The Constitution provides a special procedure for nominating judges and parliamentary confirmation, with a list of candidates from the HJPC and mechanisms for filling vacancies.
- Supreme, cantonal and municipal courts
Judicial authority: adjudicate independently of federal and cantonal governments. The Supreme Court of FBiH operates within the ordinary judicial system; the constitutional court has a different kind of jurisdiction.
Election / appointment: The HJPC of BiH appoints ordinary-court judges under the law, not the federal Government or cantonal assemblies.
Institutions at this level
What is this level responsible for?
- Federal economic and fiscal policy, finance, energy policy and other functions assigned by the Constitution, consistent with BiH responsibilities.
- Health, the environment, social policy, communication and transport infrastructure, tourism and use of natural resources are shared areas of the Federation and cantons.
- Shared responsibilities are exercised jointly, separately or by cantons with coordination; consultation and respect for the constitutional allocation are required.
- Indirect election: cantonal assemblies → FBiH House of Peoples → BiH House of Peoples. In the final step, only the Bosniak and Croat caucuses elect five state delegates each. The RS National Assembly separately elects the five Serb state delegates.
Important distinctions
- A cantonal budget, police or school policy is not automatically a federal Government responsibility. Shared responsibility is not the same as exclusive federal responsibility.
- The Federation and cantons must respect local self-government’s own powers; municipalities and cities are not merely their administrative outposts.
- Courts are not ministries: judicial independence applies even when a court is financed from a particular budget.