Denis Bećirović | |||||||||||||
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 Bećirović in 2024 | |||||||||||||
| 19thChairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||||||
| In office 16 March 2024 – 16 November 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Željko Komšić | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Željka Cvijanović | ||||||||||||
| 8thBosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||||||
| Assumed office 16 November 2022 | |||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Zoran Tegeltija Borjana Krišto | ||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Šefik Džaferović | ||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1975-11-28)28 November 1975 (age 49) | ||||||||||||
| Nationality | Bosnian | ||||||||||||
| Political party | Social Democratic Party (1993–present) | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | Mirela Bećirović | ||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Residence(s) | Tuzla,Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||||||
| Alma mater | |||||||||||||
Denis Bećirović (born 28 November 1975) is a Bosnian politician, professor and historian serving as the8th and currentBosniak member of thePresidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2022. Previously, Bećirović was a member of the nationalHouse of Peoples from 2019 to 2022. He is a member and former vice-president of theSocial Democratic Party (SDP BiH).
Born inTuzla, Bećirović graduated from the city'sUniversity in 1998. He enrolled in postgraduate studies at theFaculty of Humanities at theUniversity of Sarajevo in 2000. Prior to his political engagement, Bećirović was a history teacher at a primary school in Tuzla. From 1998 to 2002, he worked at the Secondary School of Economics in his hometown.
Bećirović has been a member of the SDP BiH since 1993. In 1998, he became a member of theFederal Parliament. Two years later, he entered theTuzla Cantonal Assembly and was appointed member of theFederal House of Peoples. In the2006 general election, Bećirović was elected to the nationalHouse of Representatives. In the2018 general election, he ran as the SDP BiH's candidate for a seat in thePresidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as aBosniak member, but was not elected. Following the general election, he became a member of the national House of Peoples.
In the2022 general election, Bećirović ran once again for a seat in the Presidency as a Bosniak member and was elected, defeating former Presidency memberBakir Izetbegović. Bećirović was sworn in as Presidency member in November 2022.
Bećirović graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Humanities at theUniversity of Tuzla. He enrolled in postgraduate studies at theFaculty of Humanities at theUniversity of Sarajevo in 2000. He defended his master's thesis in 2004, and his doctorate in 2010 at the Faculty of Humanities inSarajevo.[1]
Bećirović joined theSocial Democratic Party in 1993 and has held several positions within the party. Prior to his political engagement, Bećirović was a history teacher at a primary school in his hometown ofTuzla, and from 1998 to 2002, he worked at the Secondary School of Economics in his hometown. He has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Humanities in Tuzla since 2010.[1] In 1998, Bećirović became a member of theFederal Parliament. Two years later, in the2000 parliamentary election, he entered theTuzla Cantonal Assembly and theFederal House of Peoples.[1]
In the2002 general election, Bećirović was re-elected to the Cantonal Assembly, and four years later, in the2006 general election, he became a member of the nationalHouse of Representatives. He renewed his term in the2010 general election as well. In the2014 general election, Bećirović won his third consecutive term in the nationalParliament.[1]
In the2018 general election, Bećirović ran for a seat in thePresidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as aBosniak member, but was not elected, obtaining 33.53% of the vote, withŠefik Džaferović of theParty of Democratic Action getting elected with 36.61% of the vote.[2] In February 2019, following the election, Bećirović was appointed member of the nationalHouse of Peoples.[3]
The three-party liberal coalition of theSocial Democratic Party, thePeople and Justice party andOur Party, known asTroika, additionally supported by theUnion for a Better Future and thePeople's European Union, announced Bećirović's candidacy in theBosnian general election on 21 May 2022, running once more forPresidency member and representing the Bosniaks.[4]
In the general election, held on 2 October 2022, he was elected to the Presidency, having obtained 57.37% of the vote. TheParty of Democratic Action candidate and former Bosniak Presidency member,Bakir Izetbegović, was second with 37.25%.[5]
Bećirović was sworn in as Presidency member on 16 November 2022, alongside newly elected memberŽeljka Cvijanović and re-elected memberŽeljko Komšić.[6]
Following the 2022 general election, a coalition led by theAlliance of Independent Social Democrats, theCroatian Democratic Union and Troika reached an agreement on the formation of a newgovernment, designatingBorjana Krišto as the newChairwoman of the Council of Ministers.[7] The Presidency officially nominated Krišto as chairwoman-designate on 22 December; Bećirović and Cvijanović voted for, while Komšić voted against.[8] Bećirović said after the vote that "It's time to give a chance to development, cooperation and dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina" and that the "Citizens and peoples of Bosnia must no longer be held hostages of permanent blockades, blackmails and quarrels."[9]
On 27 June 2023, theNational Assembly of Republika Srpska voted to suspend rulings by theConstitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and stopping publishing theHigh Representative's decrees and laws in the official gazette.[10] Bećirović later called on the High Representative to sanction Republika Srpska presidentMilorad Dodik and his allies for derogating thepeace agreement.[11]
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On 4 July 2023, Bećirović met with British prime ministerRishi Sunak during an official visit to the United Kingdom.[12] They discussed bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Kingdom, implementing economic reforms, strengthening democracy and reforming the rule of law.[13] In October 2023, he met withPope Francis inVatican City.[14]
Following theUnited Nations General Assemblydesignating July 11 as the annualInternational Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica in May 2024, Bećirović bolstered up the decision, declaring that truth and justice had won.[15]
In October 2025, following the brokering of theGaza peace plan and the start of a third ceasefire in theGaza war, the Bosnian Presidency unanimously decided to nominate U.S. presidentDonald Trump for theNobel Peace Prize for his "commitment to establishing lasting peace inGaza" and theMiddle East.[16] This marked the first official nomination for the 2026 edition of the award.[17]
On 15 December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina was recognised by theEuropean Union as a candidate country foraccession following the decision of theEuropean Council, which Bećirović strongly supported.[18]
On 8 February 2024, the Presidency unanimously adopted the decision to start negotiations withFrontex, one of the country’s key conditions for opening negotiations with the EU.[19] On 21 March 2024, at a summit inBrussels, all 27 EU leaders, representing the European Council, unanimously agreed to open EU accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina after theCouncil of Ministers adopted two more European laws.[20][21] Talks are set to begin following the impeding of more reforms.[21][22]
Denis is married to Mirela Bećirović, and together they have two children.[1] They live inTuzla.
Bećirović has written several books and papers dealing with the modern history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of his work include:
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Presidents of the People's Assembly of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina(1945–1974) |
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| Presidents of the Presidency of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina(1974–1992) |
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| President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina(1992–1996) |
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| Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina(since 1996) | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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