Dacic: Lithium dispute boosts ruling parties’ popularity

Serbia’s Internal Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said everyone in Serbia is free to express their political views and that public gatherings are not an issue, but must follow certain rules, and added that the ruling parties’ popularity has not been harmed by the lithium controversy, on the contrary, it has even increased despite the negative campaign against them.

“The topic (lithium) is being politicized, it is not being debated the way it should be but rather used for political manipulation. The opposition needs an issue that would resonate more with citizens than their actual policies,” Dacic told an interview with the daily Vecernje Novosti, adding that people will not go out to protest in support of opposition leaders, but that everyone cares about environmental protection.

Asked if Rio Tinto’s Jadar lithium mining project and the purchase of French Rafale jets signal that Serbia is increasingly turning towards the West, he said he does not think this is something that tilts the balance to one side.

“Maybe it’s more about correcting something from the past, when the scale was tipped the other way because we didn’t have strategic agreements with some other countries,” said Dacic.

He emphasized that Serbia’s strategic priority is European Union (EU) membership, and that it is not possible to have two conflicting priorities, “you can't be committed to both BRICS and the EU at the same time.”

“But cooperation with BRICS is important, and we should take part in it. To what extent and in what way is up to those in charge of foreign policy,” he concluded.