Alliance of Independent Social Democrats
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats Савез независних социјалдемократа Savez nezavisnih socijaldemokrata | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SNSD (СНСД) |
| Leader | Milorad Dodik |
| Founded | 10 March 1996 |
| Headquarters | Banja Luka |
| Youth wing | Young Social Democrats |
| Women's wing | Active Woman Social Democratic |
| Membership | 192,707 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
| International affiliation | Socialist International (2008–2012) For the Freedom of Nations! (since 2024) |
| HoR BiH | 6 / 42 |
| HoP BiH | 3 / 15 |
| HoP FBiH | 2 / 80 |
| NA RS | 29 / 83 |
| Mayors | 48 / 145 |
| Party flag | |
| Website | |
| www | |
^ A: The party is also described as right-wing, centre-left economically, left-conservative, right-wing nationalist, or a "centre left-wing party but simultaneously extremely radical right-wing". | |
The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (Serbian: Савез независних социјалдемократа, СНСД, romanized: Savez nezavisnih socijaldemokrata, SNSD) is a Serb nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1996, it is the governing party in Republika Srpska. The party's vice-president, Željka Cvijanović, is the current member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while party member Siniša Karan is serving as the current president of Republika Srpska. SNSD member Savo Minić is the current prime minister of Republika Srpska as well.
The creation of the SNSD can be traced back to the Independent Members of Parliament Group, which eventually grew to become the Party of Independent Social Democrats. During this time, the party served as the only opposition to the dominance of the ultra-nationalist Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which was led by Radovan Karadžić for the majority of the 1990s. The SNSD was seen as a moderate and non-extremist alternative to the SDS, with many of its members, including current leader Milorad Dodik, being part of the former non-nationalist and multi-ethnic Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia.
The SNSD's first real electoral success was recorded in 2006, where it won 41 of the 83 seats in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, attracting 44.95% of the popular vote. Since then, the party has gradually abandoned its reformist ideology for more assertive advocacy of Serbian nationalism, threatening the secession of Republika Srpska from the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina numerous times. This has also led to the party being expelled from the Socialist International in 2012 for "continuing to espouse a nationalist and extremist line".