HDZ BiH hires US lobbyist Mercury Public Affairs, spending over 150,000 KM

The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) signed a three‑month contract with the U.S. lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs on 24 July 2026. The agreement, filed in the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) system, obliges Mercury to lobby on HDZ BiH’s behalf in Washington for US$30,000 per month, amounting to US$90,000 (about 150,000 convertible marks) in total.

President of HDZ BiH Dragan Čović signed the deal, which tasks Mercury with coordinating information and engagement related to the party’s interests under the Dayton Peace Agreement, promoting the constitutional status of Bosnia’s three peoples, and strengthening ties with the United States, NATO and the European Union. The firm will also arrange and facilitate meetings with senior U.S. officials, prepare briefing materials, and conduct media outreach. Mercury’s executive team includes Thomas Doherty and its general director John Gallagher, who has decades of experience in crisis communications and public affairs.