The ongoing conflict over lithium mining in Serbia has escalated, with around 30,000 Serbians taking to the streets of Belgrade to protest against the revival of a massive lithium mining project by Rio Tinto. This movement echoes the intense public backlash that halted the project two years ago.
Last month, Serbia reinstated Rio Tinto’s license to mine lithium in the Jadar Valley, a region holding one of Europe’s largest lithium reserves. This decision has reignited a longstanding controversy, as the Anglo-Australian consortium plans to establish a significant lithium mine amid Europe’s push to secure the “white gold” essential for electric vehicle batteries, reducing reliance on Chinese supplies.
Lithium’s growing importance in global supply chains was underscored by the recent EU-Serbia agreement, which granted European car manufacturers exclusive access to Serbian lithium. The deal was celebrated as a historic moment for both Serbia and Europe.
Rio Tinto initially discovered the substantial lithium deposits near Loznica in 2004. However, environmentalists have long argued that mining operations would devastate the landscape, threaten local agriculture and contaminate water sources. The situation intensified in 2020 when the Serbian government approved an environmental impact assessment for the project, sparking widespread protests in 2022. These protests were not limited to environmentalists; many Serbians, previously uninvolved in activism, were outraged by the perceived lack of transparency in granting mining rights to a foreign corporation.
The Serbian government initially capitulated to public pressure, withdrawing exploration licenses and announcing the end of Rio Tinto’s activities in Serbia. However, a court ruling last month deemed the revocation of these permits unconstitutional, leading to the project’s revival. Shortly afterward, Serbia signed a memorandum of understanding with the EU to establish a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery production and electric vehicles.
Despite President Aleksandar Vučić’s assurances that he would protect the environment and the well-being of Jadar’s residents, public mistrust remains high. Opposition parties and protest groups continue to express deep skepticism about the government’s intentions, fearing that Serbia’s resources will be exploited for the benefit of foreign interests while local communities bear the environmental costs.
The tension has reached a critical point, with President Vučić calling a government crisis meeting after alleging that Russian security services warned him of a potential coup. Government officials have dismissed the protests as politically motivated attempts to overthrow the president, while police have intervened to disperse demonstrators blocking railway stations in Belgrade.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended the Jadar project, emphasizing its importance for Europe’s economic security and lithium self-sufficiency. He argued that the decision to proceed with the mine was necessary to maintain European sovereignty in a rapidly changing global landscape. However, questions have arisen regarding the EU’s focus on Serbian lithium, especially considering Germany’s own substantial lithium reserves and the public resistance to lithium mining within the EU, notably in Portugal.
The situation in Serbia highlights the broader challenges of balancing economic ambitions with environmental concerns and public sentiment, as Europe seeks to secure critical resources for its green transition.