European Commission decision and Jadar Valley concerns
Aleksandar Jovanović, leader of the Ecological Uprising movement, criticized the European Commission’s decision to include the Jadar lithium project in its list of strategic projects. Speaking at a press conference in the Serbian Parliament, he said the move would be a “death sentence” for what he described as the living systems of the Jadar Valley. He also warned that local residents could become “environmental refugees.”
Jovanović said he would not allow lithium extraction and what he described as the destruction of natural resources to proceed. He added that his position includes ensuring life in the village of Gornje Nedeljice continues without interruption. His remarks were made in connection with the European Commission’s strategic-project inclusion.
Calls for resistance and warnings about other regions
Jovanović stated that the situation he described for the Jadar Valley could soon affect other Serbian regions, including Bor and Zaječar. He called for a united resistance involving environmental organizations, citizens, and students. He urged preparations for a “general mobilization” when Rio Tinto’s machinery appears on site.
The Ecological Uprising leader also accused Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić, and other officials of exploiting Serbia’s lithium and natural wealth for personal gain. He said Brnabić had previously declared the Jadar project canceled, which he described as misleading regarding its status.
Parliamentary MP links decision to democratic process claims
Danijela Nestorović, an MP from the Ecological Uprising, characterized the European Commission’s decision as an “ecological and political precedent.” She said it ignored democratic processes in Serbia. Nestorović added that she believes the Jadar project was halted solely due to popular public pressure.
She warned European officials that, according to her account, Serbian people would “rise again” to defend their will “at any cost.” Nestorović also said that beneath the land there are not lithium batteries but what she described as fertile soil, drinking water, and remains of ancestors buried there.