Bosnia and Herzegovina has formally protested to Croatia after a gathering in Zagreb revived the idea of creating a third autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, a proposal Sarajevo views as a direct challenge to the country’s constitutional order.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent an official protest note to Croatia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs following the event, held in Zagreb on April 25. Although the gathering, known as “TradFest,” was organized by civil society groups, the presence of Croatian government representatives added political weight to the controversy and intensified reactions in Sarajevo.
According to Bosnian authorities, messages presented during the event suggested possible changes to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s internal structure. Sarajevo argues that any such initiative would undermine the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional framework established by the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The protest note emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to defending its existing constitutional order and warned that statements promoting territorial or institutional restructuring damage good-neighborly relations and weaken mutual trust between the two countries.
At the same time, Croat political representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to express dissatisfaction with the current system. Marina Pendeš, a representative of a Croat political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Croats have the right to speak openly about their position, arguing that the country does not provide full equality for all three constituent peoples.
She stated that Croats are not satisfied with the Dayton framework, claiming that it has failed to guarantee equal political representation and pointing to the decline of the Croat population in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1991.
The debate comes at a sensitive moment for the region. Analysts and international observers have repeatedly warned that any renewed discussion of territorial divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina could deepen political instability. Some assessments, including those cited by regional media, argue that weakening the Dayton framework would serve the interests of external actors seeking to increase tensions in the Western Balkans.
For Sarajevo, the issue is not only a matter of political disagreement, but a question of state sovereignty. For Croat representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, the debate reflects long-standing concerns over representation and equality.
The dispute is likely to further strain relations between Sarajevo and Zagreb, especially as Bosnia and Herzegovina remains one of the most politically sensitive countries in the region, where any proposal for internal restructuring carries broader regional implications.
