Bosnia and Herzegovina · Government
Government and administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Head of State — Tripartite Presidency
- Bosniak, Croat and Serb members rotating the chair.
- Executive — Council of Ministers
- State-level government with limited competences.
- Legislative — Parliamentary Assembly
- House of Representatives and House of Peoples.
- Judicial — State, entity and Brčko courts plus the Constitutional Court
- Includes international judges.
How legislation is made
State laws require approval of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly with entity-vote safeguards, while most everyday law is made at entity level.
Enforcement institutions
- State and entity police agencies
- Policing is shared across state, entity and cantonal bodies.
- Prosecutor’s Office of BiH
- State-level prosecution alongside entity prosecutors.
Government bodies and regulators
- judicialHigh Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (VSTV/HJPC)Appoints and disciplines judges and prosecutors state-wide.
- executiveIndirect Taxation Authority (UIO/ITA)Administers VAT, excise and customs for the whole state.
- executiveService for Foreigners’ AffairsDecides residence and removal of foreign nationals.
- independentInstitution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and HerzegovinaProtects human rights across the state and entities.
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