General elections are scheduled to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 4 October 2026. They will determine the composition of the Presidency, as well as governments at the national, entity and cantonal levels. Some 3.4 million voters are expected to elect 518 representatives across different administrative and political levels.

Thirty years after the end of the war, Bosnian politicians have largely failed to offer convincing alternatives to ethnic politics and nationalist narratives. The country continues to struggle with corruption, nepotism and allegations of electoral manipulation, while the main political parties remain heavily reliant on nationalist rhetoric.

At the same time, the Trump administration in the United States has shown direct political and economic interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What could the consequences be for the country’s domestic politics and its international position?

In this episode, we are featuring a recording of European Contexts — Hybrid Panel, bringing together Nermina Kuloglija-Zolj, journalist with BIRN in Sarajevo; Damjan Ožegović, senior researcher at Transparency International in Banja Luka; Elvedin Nezirović, writer and poet from Mostar; and Wolfgang Petritsch, Austrian diplomat and former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From perspectives rooted in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar and Vienna, the speakers discuss what is at stake in the 2026 elections, the state of democratic institutions, nationalism and electoral integrity, as well as the past and present influence of international actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The discussion took place on 23.09. in Presseclub Concordia, and was moderated by Mirjana Tomic of fjum / Presseclub Concordia.

The event was organized by Presseclub Concordia, ERSTE Stiftung and fjum – Forum Journalismus und Medien