Bosnia's Constitutional Court Bars Republika Srpska Funding for Secession Lobbying

In a decision issued on Friday, Bosnia's Constitutional Court declared that budget allocations used by the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity to hire foreign consultants for independence lobbying breach the country's constitutional framework. The judgment targets an agreement between the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Vienna and the Montreal-based firm Dickens & Madson Canada Inc., which listed "the independence of Republika Srpska" as a core objective.

The legal challenge was brought by state-level lawmaker Denis Zvizdic, who argued that spending taxpayers' money on anti-state campaigns was unlawful. While a 2008 ruling permitted foreign firms for general economic promotion, the court now distinguishes secessionist lobbying as a direct assault on the constitutional order. It ordered an immediate stop to all payments under the contract and warned that violating the binding decision carries severe penalties. The full text will be posted on the court’s website within the month.