Federalism and consociation in the constitutional system of BiH Cover Image

Federalizam i konsocijacija u ustavnom sistemu BiH
Federalism and consociation in the constitutional system of BiH

Author(s): Goran Marković
Subject(s): Constitutional Law, Government/Political systems, Politics and law, Comparative politics
Published by: Fondacija Centar za javno pravo
Keywords: Federalism; B&H; consociational federation; Consociational democracy;

Summary/Abstract: Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the few complete consociational federal states. Under the „complete“ consociational federation I deem the one which contains all or almost all features of the federation and consociational democracy. The ethnic federalism can't be considered as the equivalent of the consociational federation. Other ethnic federations, with the exception of Belgium, could be at best understood as semi-consociational federations. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the federalism is complemented with consociational principles, not only regarding the composition of the institutions, but also, which is particularly important, regarding the methods of decision-making. It is hard to achieve consequent realization of all principles of the federation and consociation. This was the problem which the constitution-maker in Bosnia and Herzegovina had to face with. The general conclusion, drawn after the analysis of the composition, method of election, and method of decision-making of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is that the principles of consociation dominate over the principles of federation, although this conclusion is not without exceptions.

  • Issue Year: 10/2019
  • Issue No: 38
  • Page Range: 110-118
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Bosnian