The youngest mayor of Banja Luka who waives his salary

Countries & Cities · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born into one of the city's wealthiest families, Draško Stanivuković entered politics not for profit, but to challenge a status quo he calls corrupt. From tearing up asphalt with his bare hands to becoming the youngest person to lead his city, his career is defined by high-stakes confrontation.

Draško Stanivuković rose to prominence in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a 'wunderkind' of the political scene. His reputation for activism grew rapidly after he joined the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) in 2011 and began his political career at 18. In 2014, he founded the Association of Citizens "Be DIFFERENT," which organized protest walks and fundraising efforts to improve local infrastructure like schoolyards and gymnasiums. His public image was cemented by a dramatic act of protest where he tore up newly laid asphalt with his hands to demonstrate that contractors were providing only two centimeters of thickness instead of the required eight.

His political trajectory has been marked by significant physical and legal confrontations. While acting as Republika Srpska's youngest National Assembly representative in 2018, he faced arrest during a demonstration for "calling for a violent change in the constitutional order." He subsequently alleged that officers struck him while taking him into custody. His tensions with the ruling establishment escalated in 2019 when he was slapped by the Minister of Interior, Dragan Lukač, following an argument in the assembly regarding a proposed Law on Whistleblowers. These conflicts often center on accusations of corruption against the SNSD party and its leader, Milorad Dodik.

Stanivuković's leadership style includes unique concessions and controversial cultural policies. He has twice waived his official salary—first as an assembly member in 2016, where he distributed the 1000 BAM (574.42 USD) monthly to those in need, and again during his rise to power. Elected mayor of Banja Luka at age 27 in December 2020, he became the first to meet with the mayor of Sarajevo since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. However, his tenure has also seen firm cultural stances, such as banning specific rap duos from performing in the city due to their alleged promotion of "wrong values."

In late 2024, Stanivuković solidified his influence by becoming the president of the PDP. His political identity remains a complex mix of wealthy-born activism, anti-corruption rhetoric, and a staunch defense of Serbian interests, navigating a landscape where he is simultaneously praised as a visionary and criticized by authorities as a "young tycoon."

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