vizualinacija.BSBosanski

How is BiH governed?

One state, two entities and a district with special status. Explore where decisions are made, who chooses institutions and how their responsibilities differ.

Institutions and responsibilities, without parties or current officeholders.

Explore the territorial diagram
Bosnia and HerzegovinaState
Federation of BiHEntity
10 cantonsOnly in the Federation of BiH
  1. 01Una-Sana Canton
  2. 02Posavina Canton
  3. 03Tuzla Canton
  4. 04Zenica-Doboj Canton
  5. 05Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde
  6. 06Central Bosnia Canton
  7. 07Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
  8. 08West Herzegovina Canton
  9. 09Sarajevo Canton
  10. 10Canton 10
Municipalities and citiesLocal self-government
Republika SrpskaEntitySelected

No cantonal level

Municipalities and citiesLocal self-government
Brčko District of BiHSpecial status

A unit of local self-government under BiH sovereignty. Not a third entity.

Territorial connections, not a chain of command. Constitutions and laws divide responsibilities; Brčko has a special status.

Republika Srpska

Entity · no cantons

Republika Srpska is one of the two entities of BiH. It has no cantons: the territorial diagram runs from the entity to municipalities and cities. This does not abolish their right to local self-government or turn them into offices of the entity Government.

Institutions and how they are chosen

National Assembly of RS83 representatives

Legislative authority: adopts entity laws and the budget, elects the Government and oversees its work.

Election / appointment: Citizens directly elect representatives. The Assembly also elects five Serb delegates to the BiH House of Peoples, separately from the cantonal route in FBiH.

Council of Peoples of RS28 delegates

Protection of vital national interest: it is not an equal second legislative chamber for the ordinary adoption of all laws. It participates through a special constitutional procedure protecting vital interests.

Election / appointment: The respective National Assembly caucuses elect eight delegates from each constituent people and four from the Others; the Constitution provides for supplementing the electoral body with local assembly councillors when necessary.

President and Vice Presidents of RSPresident and 2 Vice Presidents

Executive authority: the President represents the entity, nominates a candidate for prime minister and performs other constitutional functions.

Election / appointment: Directly elected under the electoral rules for the President and Vice Presidents, with representation of the three constituent peoples.

Government of RS

Executive authority: proposes and implements entity policies, laws and the budget, and manages the entity administration.

Election / appointment: The President nominates a candidate for prime minister. The National Assembly elects the Government on the basis of its programme and proposed composition.

Constitutional Court of RS

Constitutional protection: reviews constitutionality and legality within its remit. The Council for the Protection of Vital Interest decides in the relevant special procedure.

Election / appointment: The National Assembly elects judges on the President’s proposal, through the constitutionally prescribed procedure; this is not the election of Government members.

Supreme, district and basic courts

Judicial authority: independent ordinary courts with jurisdictions and legal remedies established by law. Their decisions are not subordinate to the President or Government.

Election / appointment: The HJPC of BiH appoints ordinary-court judges through the statutory procedure, not voters or the entity Government.

Institutions at this level

What is this level responsible for?

  • Entity legislation and policies in areas not assigned to BiH institutions, including education, health, social protection and internal affairs, within the applicable constitutional and legal framework.
  • Economic and fiscal policy, entity infrastructure, public services and organisation of the local self-government system under the allocation of responsibilities.
  • The special procedure protecting vital national interest connects the National Assembly, Council of Peoples, joint commission and Constitutional Court when the constitutional conditions are met.

Important distinctions

  • RS has no cantonal assemblies or cantonal governments. No additional territorial authority should be invented between entity and local levels.
  • The Council of Peoples is not a counterpart to the FBiH House of Peoples in all legislative matters; its specific role is protecting vital national interest.
  • Entity institutions and local self-government are bound by the BiH Constitution and applicable state laws and decisions.