The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, managed to conclude an agreement on supplying the European Union (EU) with the lithium it needs to power electric vehicles, but in doing so, he revived the mass movement against a large mining project supported by both Brussels and Berlin, the Brussels portal Politiko writes today.
In the text "Serbian leader conquers the West with promises of 'white gold', but loses the people", Politiko states that the aspiration to become "Brussels' favorite Balkan leader" returns to Vučić like a boomerang.
"It is a paradox: Turning to the West to enable its transition to a green future, Vučić, according to his critics, condemned seven million Serbian residents to further economic exploitation and environmental pollution, which puts Western standards of democracy and responsibility even further outside reach," the text states.
The portal adds that Vučić, in fear, accused the demonstrators, who gathered in Belgrade in tens of thousands on August 10, of wanting to oust him from power.
"It is part of a hybrid approach and the execution of color revolutions," Vučić told reporters, stating that his warning about a possible coup d'état was based on information received from Russia, Serbia's historical patron, writes Politiko.
The renowned Brussels portal reminds that the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto received a permit for the development of the "Jadar" project in 2017, five years after Vučić came to power, and that it was revoked after a wave of mass protests two and a half years ago.
"Nevertheless, the hard-line nationalist (Vučić) never gave up on that project. And, despite fears about his democratic capacities, the EU counted on Vučić and encouraged him to implement the project," states Politiko.
It is added that the enthusiasm of the EU is not shared by people in Serbia, who believe that the Union's reliance on Vučić only encouraged his autocratic tendencies.
"According to analysts, public trust in the EU has fallen sharply, while the promises of the bloc's leaders to promote democratic values in countries that have long been candidates for membership are becoming increasingly empty," the text states.
One of the leaders of the environmental protests, Nebojša Petković from Gornji Nedeljice, told Politiko that the EU "is hypocritical because it supports a dictator in Serbia who has blocked the judiciary, the media and everything else" and added that the Union "accepts this because he will deliver the lithium that she needs him badly".
Politiko also states that in July Vučić hosted German Chancellor Olaf Šolc and Vice President of the European Commission for the Green Deal Maroš Šefčovič in order to sign an agreement formalizing EU support for the "Jadar" project, along with which several memoranda were signed with major car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Stelantis.
Two months earlier, Vučić gave Chinese President Xi Jinping an even more pompous welcome, with hundreds of Serbs who gathered to greet him, waving Chinese flags and cheering on the "steely friendship" of the two countries, the portal adds.
"Although it might surprise uninitiated observers, both events epitomize Vučić's approach to foreign policy, which boils down to welcoming anyone who wants to invest - like China's Ziđin copper plant in Bor or Russia, which is dominant in the field of oil and gas - as long as are kept away from Serbia's internal issues," the text states.
Politiko also points out that in Vučić's Serbia, "very little gets" on television with a national frequency "if he doesn't approve the message", and adds that the report on the anti-lithium demonstrations over the weekend lasted 24 seconds on the public service news, which is said to "usually ignores anti-government protests".
"If the protesters' demands were really covered (in the mainstream media), the public would understand that their concerns are primarily about environmental issues. To circumvent the media darkness they face, the protesters have resorted to blocking highways and roads. So citizens will , who may not see what is happening in the news, be physically forced to stop and familiarize themselves with the consequences of the mine," the portal states.
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