Dodik turned to Trump, but the lobbying money tap was turned off in Bosnia

Banja Luka opens up to Washington while Sarajevo turns off the lobbying money tap

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Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska's American lobbying has encountered a new obstacle: the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has banned the financing of foreign lobbying activities from the budget of the Republika Srpska whose goals are contrary to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina or the decisions of the country's institutions.

The decision also directly affects the Canadian company that was paid millions of dollars to promote, among other things, the cause of the independence of Republika Srpska in Washington.

According to Milorad Dodik, this is yet another "Sarajevo machination," while he himself has recently turned spectacularly towards Washington: he praises Donald Trump, appears on American conservative podcasts, stands by Israel, and although he has not denied Vladimir Putin, Moscow seems to have taken a slightly back seat in the showcase.

The Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina has spent significant sums in recent years to make its position heard not only in Banja Luka and Belgrade, but also, if possible, in Washington, in places where you can't necessarily get in just by knocking politely.

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The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has now put an end to this practice. The court, in a case initiated by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Denis Zvizdić, ruled that the implementation of certain lobbying contracts in Republika Srpska is not in line with the country's constitution.

The decision also affects the 15 million convertible marks earmarked for foreign missions in the 2026 budget and the 49 million marks included in the second budget amendment for 2025, if they were used for lobbying activities serving unconstitutional purposes.

From the Vienna representation to Washington

The story centers on a contract signed on September 6, 2025. It was signed by Mladen Filipović, director of the Republika Srpska representation in Vienna, and Ari Ben-Menashe, head of the Canadian Dickens & Madson Canada Inc.

The Constitutional Court has now expressly banned further budgetary payments related to the contract. However, the ban is broader: it also applies to financing other lobbying contracts if they serve purposes that are contrary to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Constitutional Court or state institutions.

The implementation is also binding on the Parliament, Government, other competent bodies of the Republika Srpska and foreign missions.

Why Ben-Menashe's firm has become particularly interesting is partly explained by US records. According to previous investigations, Dickens & Madson's tasks included seeking the lifting of US sanctions against the leaders of Republika Srpska, building the entity's international relations, lobbying to abolish the institution of the High Representative, and supporting the independence of Republika Srpska. According to the records, the entity paid the firm about four million dollars.

Previous investigations have also reported a wider lobbying network. The money was not only spent in elegant Washington offices: according to the Detektor investigation, public funds were also used to finance meals and housing costs in Banja Luka, among other things.

Milorad Dodik says Sarajevo is machinating again

Of course, no champagne was broken in Banja Luka upon hearing the news of the Constitutional Court's decision.

Milorad Dodik, the president of the SNSD, called what happened a "Sarajevo machination" and complained that, in his opinion, the Constitutional Court now wants to dictate what Republika Srpska can spend its money on.

Public media coverage in Republika Srpska consistently refers to the body as a “truncated Constitutional Court.” This phrasing reflects the political stance in Banja Luka, not the official name of the court.

According to the political narrative of Republika Srpska, the body is illegitimate since the three Bosniak and three Croat judges make decisions without the Serb members. From the Serbian side, this is a consciously constructed political communication formula aimed at delegitimizing the decisions.

However, there is a more piquant side to the story. Dodik is being banned from paying certain American lobbying bills at a time when he has spectacularly turned his political antennae towards America.

Trump has become the new ray of hope

On September 24, Dodik was a guest on American conservative commentator Wayne Allyn Root's show War Zone; the show itself promoted the episode with Dodik's appearance.

In the interview, Dodik spoke at length about Donald Trump, whose return, according to his own account, was celebrated in Republika Srpska.

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He recalled that after Trump's election victory, the Republic Palace in Banja Luka was illuminated in the colors of the American flag, and claimed that Trump's presidency had brought them new hope. This was not the first time he had communicated this in this way.

According to Dodik's explanation, during the first Trump administration, the so-called "deep state" prevented Republika Srpska from building a proper relationship with Washington. Now, he sees an American leadership that is willing to listen to the Serbs' position has come to power.

Meanwhile, Dodik carefully recited several well-known items from the American conservative political vocabulary: he criticized globalism, the liberal left, and the "Washington swamp," while talking about family, work, and national identity.

Of the American media, CNN in particular received criticism, accusing it of spreading lies about Serbs, which is obviously another move by which the Bosnian Serb leader wants to win Trump's heart.

Moscow remains, only now Washington is on speakerphone

All of this is interesting because Dodik previously built his relationship with Moscow much more spectacularly.

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He is not denying Vladimir Putin now either: in the American interview, he also said that he has an excellent relationship with the Russian president, but at the same time he rejected the Brussels interpretation that he is "Putin's man."

Israel is also an integral part of the new opening in Washington. In the interview, Dodik again assured Israel of his strong support, referring to the suffering of Serbs and Jews in World War II, as well as Jasenovac.

Speaking about the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, he argued for the legitimacy of Israel's response.

So the political package is slowly coming together: Trump, Israel, Christian values, anti-globalism, Washington – while Putin remains in the family photo album.

Lobbying is not forbidden, it just doesn't matter what kind it is.

However, the Constitutional Court decision does not mean that Republika Srpska cannot pay any foreign lobbyists from now on.

The decision only prohibits budget payments related to the Ben-Menashe Agreement, as well as lobbying activities whose purpose is contrary to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the decisions of the Constitutional Court or state institutions.

Dodik therefore faced a peculiar problem: he found a new ray of political hope in Trump's America just when word came from Sarajevo that certain bills could no longer simply be included in the budget of Republika Srpska.

Politics is just like that. Even in geopolitical love, there are those who sooner or later pay the bill.