Back to square one?: An analysis of the 2014 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

•Elections in Bosnia favor nationalist parties that exclusively refer to one ethnic group in the country.•The success of the SDA, SNSD and HDZ in the October's election will mean “more of the same” with little incentive for reform.•Some multi-ethnic parties had reasonable successes at regional level (DF, Nasa Stranka).•Constitutional reform and the Croat question remain the most important issues.•The elections demonstrate the lack of democracy.