List of Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, former leaders, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović and Željko Komšić (the three-member Presidency) (in office since 2022). Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single president: since 1996 the head of state has been a three-member Presidency with one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb member, each elected for four years. The chair rotates every eight months. Denis Bećirović has chaired since 16 March 2026, so a new chair is expected in mid-November 2026. Each member is listed below.

Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order, with years in office

Alija Izetbegović

Served: 1992–2000

President of the wartime Presidency from 1992 and then the Bosniak member from 1996 until he resigned in October 2000.

Momčilo Krajišnik

Served: 1996–1998

First Serb member of the three-member Presidency.

Krešimir Zubak

Served: 1996–1998

First Croat member of the three-member Presidency.

Živko Radišić

Served: 1998–2002

Serb member.

Ante Jelavić

Served: 1998–2001

Croat member who was dismissed by the High Representative in March 2001.

Halid Genjac

Served: 2000–2001

Bosniak member who replaced Izetbegović.

Jozo Križanović

Served: 2001–2002

Croat member who replaced Jelavić.

Beriz Belkić

Served: 2001–2002

Bosniak member.

Dragan Čović

Served: 2002–2005

Croat member who was removed by the High Representative in 2005.

Sulejman Tihić

Served: 2002–2006

Bosniak member and leader of the Party of Democratic Action.

Mirko Šarović

Served: 2002–2003

Serb member who resigned in 2003.

Borislav Paravac

Served: 2003–2006

Serb member.

Ivo Miro Jović

Served: 2005–2006

Croat member who replaced Čović.

Haris Silajdžić

Served: 2006–2010

Bosniak member and former prime minister.

Nebojša Radmanović

Served: 2006–2014

Serb member for two terms.

Željko Komšić

Served: 2006–2014

Croat member elected with mainly Bosniak votes, a choice that Croat parties dispute.

Bakir Izetbegović

Served: 2010–2018

Bosniak member and son of Alija Izetbegović.

Dragan Čović

Served: 2014–2018

Returned as Croat member.

Mladen Ivanić

Served: 2014–2018

Serb member.

Šefik Džaferović

Served: 2018–2022

Bosniak member.

Milorad Dodik

Served: 2018–2022

Serb member, who later became president of Republika Srpska.

Željko Komšić

Served: 2018–present

Croat member again since 2018 and re-elected in 2022; he chaired from July 2025 to March 2026.

Denis Bećirović

Served: 2022–present

Bosniak member who has chaired the Presidency since 16 March 2026.

Željka Cvijanović

Served: 2022–present

Serb member.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Who is the current president of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The current president of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović and Željko Komšić (the three-member Presidency), in office since 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single president: since 1996 the head of state has been a three-member Presidency with one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb member, each elected for four years. The chair rotates every eight months. Denis Bećirović has chaired since 16 March 2026, so a new chair is expected in mid-November 2026. Each member is listed below.

Who were the previous presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The presidents and heads of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina listed on this page, in order, are: Alija Izetbegović, Momčilo Krajišnik, Krešimir Zubak, Živko Radišić, Ante Jelavić, Halid Genjac, Jozo Križanović, Beriz Belkić, Dragan Čović, Sulejman Tihić, Mirko Šarović, Borislav Paravac, Ivo Miro Jović, Haris Silajdžić, Nebojša Radmanović, Željko Komšić, Bakir Izetbegović, Mladen Ivanić, Šefik Džaferović, Milorad Dodik, Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović.

Who was the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Alija Izetbegović was the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in office 1992–2000.

Sources: Wikipedia, Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and List of members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (checked Nov 2026). Members of the Presidency since 1996, with Alija Izetbegović's earlier wartime chairmanship; the 1992–1996 members other than Izetbegović are not listed.. Last reviewed November 2026.

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