Corruption and lack of transparency still dominant in institutional work

(Patria) - During 2025, the Center for Free Legal Aid of Transparency International in BiH (ALAC) handled 364 new cases, while the free hotline 0800 55555 received 1027 calls from citizens who witnessed or were victims of corruption.

As in previous years, the largest number of reports related to state administration (151 cases), confirming that employment, appointments, and public resource management remain the riskiest areas for corruption, according to the ALAC Annual Report for 2025.

A significant number of reports were also recorded in the areas of judiciary (31), education (28), and conflict of interest (31), with an evident increase in the number of cases, confirming that this phenomenon is becoming more widespread and that TI BiH's warnings about the normalization of conflicts of interest due to the lack of sanctions were justified.

These trends were confirmed through specific cases, and following ALAC's reports, the Central Election Commission of BiH revoked the mandate of the President of the Municipal Assembly of Gacko and an advisor to the then-President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, for holding incompatible functions. A total of 13 cases were forwarded to the competent institutions for action last year, and such examples simultaneously indicate a growing awareness of the importance of integrity in the public sector, as well as serious shortcomings in the consistent application of the law.

TI BiH initiated 24 administrative disputes during the year due to denial of access to information, while at the same time, 24 cases from previous years were resolved in favor of the Center, indicating a systemic violation of this right by institutions.

The increasing problem of lack of transparency and accountability of institutions is also confirmed by decisions of the highest domestic and international courts. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina upheld TI BiH's lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice of BiH for unlawfully denying access to the Draft Law on the Court of BiH, thereby preventing the public from participating in the process of adopting one of the key legal regulations.

At the same time, the European Court of Human Rights is considering cases related to the denial of access to information by the Federal Ministry for Veterans and Disabled Defenders of the Defensive-Liberation War, as well as ALAC's application on behalf of a citizen who, despite numerous court decisions in his favor, has been unable to secure employment in the Tax Administration of Republika Srpska for many years.

In addition to insufficient openness and lack of accountability, institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are under increasing political influence, which is particularly evident in appointment procedures, where processes are often annulled or adapted to political interests. For example, TI BiH filed a criminal complaint against officials at multiple levels of government in the Federation of BiH for the unfounded annulment of an already completed appointment procedure for members of the Management Board of the Federal Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, highlighting serious abuses and political influence on the work of institutions.

These cases, as well as the fact that journalists requested and received free legal aid from the Center 57 times during 2025, and the growing number of cases where citizens and media outlets have to seek judicial protection due to continuous violation of their rights by institutions, further confirm the scale of the problem.

The complex political structure, frequent institutional blockades, and the lack of key legal solutions, such as the law on conflict of interest in the Federation of BiH and adequate whistleblower protection, not only significantly hinder the fight against corruption but also deny citizens basic rights, primarily the right to legal protection, employment, and access to information of public importance.

Problems such as lack of transparency, illegal appointments, conflicts of interest, and restrictions on access to information are deeply rooted in institutions at all levels of government. However, the work of the Center for Free Legal Aid to citizens through initiating administrative disputes, appeals, criminal charges, and other legal mechanisms before domestic and European courts, as well as decisions in favor of the Center, show that persistent and strategic legal action can lead to concrete changes.

Transparency International in BiH will continue to provide free legal aid to citizens and advocate for the improvement of the legal and institutional framework to ensure greater transparency and accountability, and a more effective fight against corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina.