Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last night that some Serbian citizens are genuinely worried about the opening of a lithium mine in the country, but the real goal of the anti-mining protests is to oust him from power.
Last night in several Serbian cities there were protests against the project of the Australian company “Rio Tinto” (Rio Tinto) for the development of a lithium mine in the Jadar Valley in northwestern Serbia, the regional television En1 reported, quoted by BTA.
In July, the Serbian government renewed the license of "Rio Tinto" for the $2.4 billion project, which is expected to boost EV production on the Old Continent. In 2022, after mass protests organized by eco-activists, the authorities revoked the permission of "Rio Tinto" to implement the project.
New protests are planned for tonight, and so far citizens have protested in 37 cities across Serbia.
In front of the RTS national television, Vucic said last night that there will be no lithium mining for another two years.
"There are two goals – ousting Vucic, that's not unusual and it's something we're used to. The second is support for certain countries and foreign powers that do not want to allow Serbia to develop quickly and Serbia to significantly advance compared to some other countries in the region, Vucic said.
He added that the state has formed a team of health specialists to study the possible health consequences of the mine's operation.
Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic said last month that the "Rio Tinto" is a great chance for the development of the country, as it will provide six billion euros of direct investment and jobs for 20,000 people.
The deputy chairman of the opposition Party for Freedom and Justice, Borko Stefanovic, said at the beginning of the month that this political formation is demanding early parliamentary elections with changed electoral conditions and that the "main reason" that's what the Yadar Valley Lithium Mining Project is all about.