In the hunt for lithium, Bosnia may be next
25 January 2025
Europe, in the scramble for the rare earth element lithium, increasingly looks to the Balkans. The search began in Serbia, where since last summer, people have been protesting the government's plan to allow the mining giant Rio Tinto to extract lithium in the Jadar Valley. Now, the focus has shifted to Bosnia – but citizens aren't having it.
After months of mobilisation, a group of local NGOs and activists presented a petition to protect Mount Majevica from mining operations to the parliament of Republika Srpska – one of Bosnia's constituent entities. The Swiss mining giant Arcore AG is preparing to extract lithium from the mountain, raising serious concerns for the locals. Residents and local authorities fear that the operation will damage the area's biodiversity and geological heritage.
 | Alessandro Cinciripini Europe is fighting tooth and nail for lithium, which is essential to the clean-tech industry. For decades, the EU relied on China and Russia for its supplies and is now rushing to find a plan B. Countries like Bosnia and Serbia have significant mining potential, but people fear seeing their land polluted and their future sacrificed for the sake of the EU's industrial agenda. In short, it's a dangerous, dirty, and polluted path towards a green energy world. |
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