Bosnia and Herzegovina
Institutional erosion
→Stable2026 development data - not published research
The score supports the assessment. It does not compute the status on its own.
Judicial independence is present but vulnerable to political or structural pressure.
Independent media remain present but face significant constraints or uneven conditions.
Electoral competition exists, though integrity or fairness is under pressure.
Civic space remains active but is constrained in material ways.
Checks and balances function incompletely or are weakened by executive or party dominance.
Confidence: medium. Confidence reflects evidence quality and assessment certainty, not democratic quality.
Direction analysis
RETHINKK's 2026 review classifies Bosnia and Herzegovina as experiencing institutional erosion. The direction is stable, with limited velocity. The classification reflects pressure on democratic safeguards rather than the mere presence of polarising or populist politics.
What changed
The relevant 2026 signal is cumulative institutional pressure across one or more of the five DDI dimensions. Country-specific events and sources should be checked during final editorial review.
RETHINKK assessment
RETHINKK assesses Bosnia and Herzegovina as an erosion case: competitive or democratic institutions still matter, but their independence, openness or constraining capacity is materially weaker than in resilient democracies.
Evidence
- V-Dem InstituteDemocracy Report 2026: Unraveling The Democratic Era?2026-03-17 / 2026-08-30Source ->Supports: judicialIndependence, mediaFreedom, electoralIntegrity, civicSpace, checksAndBalances
- Freedom HouseFreedom in the World 20262026-03-19 / 2026-08-30Source ->Supports: judicialIndependence, mediaFreedom, electoralIntegrity, civicSpace, checksAndBalances