Dragan Čović, president of HDZ BiH, has signed a contract with the American lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs, while Republika Srpska has spent at least nine million dollars on lobbying since Trump's inauguration.
The president of HDZ BiH, Dragan Čović, has signed a contract with the American lobbying company Mercury Public Affairs to represent his party's interests in Washington, according to the American portal Semafor, citing documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. The signatories are one of the company's executive directors, Thomas Doherty, and Čović himself, as reported on Thursday.
This move opens the door for political competition with the political structures of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska, which has heavily invested in lobbying in the American capital in recent years. According to Semafor's analysis of U.S. Department of Justice documents, Republika Srpska has signed lobbying contracts worth at least nine million dollars since President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Former presidential envoy for the Balkans, Jim O'Brien, told Semafor: "Čović might be a bit concerned that Dodik is buying all these friends in Washington, so he wants someone who can convey his views as well."
O'Brien believes that Čović could again advocate for a third entity with a Croatian majority, which would represent a significant revision of the Dayton Peace Agreement. This idea has recently been supported by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, while critics warn that it could further deepen ethnic tensions among Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks.
Republika Srpska's lobbying expenditures constitute a significant portion of its total budget, which this year amounts to 4.37 billion dollars. More than a million people live in Republika Srpska.
"How is it possible that millions of dollars for lobbying come from such a small country with one of the least developed economies in Europe?" asked a person familiar with the situation, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Dodik's political apparatus has also been aided by other actors not registered as lobbyists, including Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's former attorney.
Unlike HDZ BiH and Republika Srpska, only one Bosniak politician has hired American lobbyists: Elmedin Konaković from the state Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it is unclear whether any fee was received for these services.
Semafor's inquiries to Čović, Republika Srpska, and the Heritage Foundation went unanswered.
