Nikola Špirić (, ; born 4 September 1956) is a Bosnian Serb politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2007 to 2012. He has been a member of the national House of Peoples since 2019. Špirić also served as Minister of Finance and Treasury from 2012 to 2015. He was previously a member of the House of Representatives from 2002 to 2007. Špirić was a member of the Party of Democratic Progress, until he left it in 2002 to join the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats. Early life and education Born in Drvar, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the time FPR Yugoslavia, Špirić completed elementary education in his hometown, high school in Sarajevo and his undergraduate and postgraduate education at the University of Sarajevo. He holds a Ph.D. in economics. His doctoral thesis was in monetary and public finance. Early career Špirić has been an economics professor at the University of Banja Luka since 1992. He held a number of governmental positions including a 2-year term as a representative at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Milorad Dodik's SNSD party. He was a member of the House of Peoples from 2001 until 2003 and a member of the House of Representatives from 2002 until 2007. Chairman of the Council of Ministers (2007–2012) On 11 January 2007, Špirić became the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, succeeding Adnan Terzić. On 1 November 2007, he tendered his resignation in protest of parliamentary reforms imposed by High Representative Miroslav Lajčák. Špirić felt that the reforms would reduce the influence of Bosnia's Serb population. The resignation was deemed by some to be the country's most serious crisis since the end of the Bosnian War. After the crisis was resolved, he was renominated for the Chairman's post on 10 December 2007, confirmed by the Presidency on 27 December 2007 and by Parliament a day later, on 28 December. Špirić's government led Bosnia and Herzegovina's economic recovery following the Great Recession and the financial crisis of 2007–2008. On 26 May 2008, Špirić met with European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot, discussing about abolition of the European Union visa regime for Bosnian citizens. In September 2009, his government managed to succeed in its plans and Bosnia and Herzegovina met the conditions for visa waiver. In July 2009, Špirić's cabinet