NO to Rio Tinto! NO to environmental destruction!

On Wednesday, February 5, Walter Baier, President of the Party of the European Left, joined the international protest against the unfair debate on lithium mining by Rio Tinto in Serbia, held in front of the European Parliament. You can read his speech below. For additional context, you can find the statement from the Executive Board of the Party of the European Left here, in which they condemn Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project in Serbia’s Jadar region.

Comrades, friends, defenders of our planet and our future,

We stand in solidarity with the brave people of Serbia, who resist the destruction of their land for corporate greed. The fight against Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project is not just theirs —it is ours. This struggle is about protecting our environment, our communities, and our future.
Let us be clear: Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project is an act of corporate plunder. Under the false promise of ‘green development,’ it threatens Serbia’s precious water, land, and biodiversity. It is a false solution, one that poisons the earth while promising a cleaner future elsewhere.
Serbia deserves better. The people have spoken they reject an economic model that extracts wealth for the few while leaving destruction for the many. They demand sustainable alternatives—renewable energy, ecotourism, and policies that create jobs while protecting nature. These are the pathways to real development, not the short-sighted devastation offered by Rio Tinto.

Yet another struggle is ongoing. The massive student protests in Serbia, though not directly linked to lithium mining, clearly highlight widespread dissatisfaction and distrust towards President Vučić and his government.

And what is the EU doing? It claims to stand for sustainability and human rights, yet it supports this reckless project. Moreover, while it proclaims democratic values, it turns a blind eye to lack of democracy in Serbia and the actions of Aleksandar Vučić government in recent years. This is neo-colonialism in action: multinational corporations, backed by powerful institutions, seeking profit at the expense of local communities. Business and economic profit are deemed more important than democracy. If the EU is truly committed to democracy and a just ecological transition, it must stop enabling environmental destruction and start listening to the people fighting for a future worth living in.

We must not allow Serbia, which remains stuck the seemingly endless process of EU accession, to becomes dumping ground of the EU.
The Party of the European Left stands unwaveringly with the Serbian people. We will not allow corporate giants to dictate the fate of nations. We will not accept an economic model that robs the present and devastates the future. And we will not remain silent while our environment, our water, and our lands are sacrificed for short-term profits.

To the Serbian government: Reject the Jadar project. Stand with your people, not with foreign corporations.

To the European Union: End your complicity. A just transition cannot be built on exploitation.

And to all those resisting, in Serbia and beyond: Your fight is our fight, and together, we will win!
No to Rio Tinto! No to environmental destruction! Yes, to a sustainable and just future for all!

Walter Baier, President of the Party of the European Left