As Bosnia and Herzegovina enters a consequential election period, on June 26, 2026, in Buna, near Mostar, the Council for Inclusive Governance (CIG) reconvened a group of senior officials of the country’s major political parties for the latest in a series of cross-party discussions on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political and reform trajectory.

Convened ahead of the official start of the electoral campaign and the elections scheduled for October 2026, the meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule to enable a candid and substantive exchange. Participants focused on finalizing recommendations for the authorities to be formed after the elections, primarily at the state level, while also addressing the responsibilities of other levels of government, to advance reforms and restore momentum to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU integration process.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complex, multi-level system of governance and often polarized political environment, sustained dialogue across party lines is essential to identifying areas of agreement and developing policies capable of securing broad political support to advance the country’s EU path. The first step on that path is opening the EU accession negotiations. The meeting formed part of CIG’s continuing work to provide senior political actors with a discreet and constructive forum in which they can move beyond immediate party competition, examine shared challenges, and develop practical proposals for the country’s institutional and political future.

The recommendations were first drafted at the group’s meeting in Bjelasnica in February 2026 and subsequently refined during a follow-up discussion in Jahorina. At the meeting in Buna, participants worked to consolidate the document around a shared set of core principles reflecting the areas of convergence reached throughout the process.

Following the October elections, the participants and CIG will present these principles to key political and institutional stakeholders and to the wider public. The initiative is intended to provide a practical foundation for the incoming authorities to develop a more coherent governing program, accelerate priority reforms, strengthen cooperation across institutions and levels of government, intensify dialogue with the EU and key Member States, and advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s quest for joining the European Union.