Siniša Karan

Siniša Karan (; born 17 May 1962) is a Bosnian Serb politician serving as the 10th President of Republika Srpska since February 2026. He previously served as Minister of Scientific-Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska from 2025 to 2026. A member of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, he also served as Minister of Interior of Republika Srpska from 2022 to 2025.

Early life and education Karan was born on 17 May 1962 in the village of Grabovac near Beli Manastir in FPR Yugoslavia, present-day Croatia. His father is an ethnic Serb from the village of Rašćani in the present-day Municipality of Tomislavgrad, and mother, an ethnic Croat, from Kupres. Karan finished elementary and high school in Kupres and earned a bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Sarajevo and a master's degree in law at the University of Banja Luka, where he also earned a PhD. He is a full professor at two private law faculties, at the Apeiron University of Banja Luka and the Independent University of Banja Luka.

Career From 1985 to 2008, Karan served as a policeman. He was a commander of the police station in Kupres, secretary of the Ministry of the Interior for Kupres and chief of the Criminal Department for the Sarajevo Centre. Following the Bosnian War, he was the chief of the Office for Crime Prevention at the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was also the chief of criminal investigations for the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the chief of its Financial Intelligence Department. From 2008, Karan served as advisor for security to the President of Republika Srpska and from 2009 to 2019, he was the President's general secretary. From January 2019, he was the general secretary of the Government of Republika Srpska. Karan served as minister until January 2026.

2025–26 Republika Srpska presidential election

Following the premature removal of then-President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik from office by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2025, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced in August that early presidential elections for a shortened, ten-month term, were to be held on 23 November 2025. Initially refusing to take part in the election, Dodik and his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) later confirmed their participation. On 30 September, Dodik announced Karan as the SNSD's candidate for the election.

In the election, Karan was initially elected president by a surprisingly small margin, obtaining 50.39% of the vote. The virtually unknown Serb Democratic Party candidate Branko Blanuša was second with 48.22%. Following the election, the opposition accused the SNSD of voter fraud, and called for a recount of all ballots cast in the cities of Doboj, Zvornik and Laktaši. In December 2025, the Central Election Commission decided to annul the election results in 17 municipalities at 136 polling stations, with the elections being repeated at those locations on 8 February 2026.

The repeated elections were also won by Karan, whose total vote share was 50.53%, compared to Blanuša's 48.09%.

President of Republika Srpska (2026–present) Karan was sworn in as president of Republika Srpska in the National Assembly on 17 February 2026, succeeding acting president Ana Trišić-Babić.