LITHIUM ON THE ELECTION BALLOT

It is commonplace to think that citizens and political leaders in Serbia are too “green” for there to be a need for the emergence of a Green Party. However, public opinion surveys and the activities of both ruling and opposition political parties show that everyone is trying to earn nature protector merit badges and pin them on their lapels. Those who are least involved in this are environmental leaders, who have voiced the dissatisfaction of citizens and carry authentic political capital. Will all the potential for serious political action on the environmental front end up on the dump of populism?

It sometimes seems that minor and major battles for environmental protection are being fought in hundreds of places in Serbia – from the struggle to save every tree, to major topics like the start of lithium mining. Does the visible dissatisfaction of citizens and their activism indicate that a Green Party could be born in Serbia, or is that an illusion? How realistic is it to be able to make political capital out of this topic, and who is closest to validating it? Our interlocutors deconstruct this topic step by step and guide readers, voters, political parties and environmental leaders through a labyrinth leading to the political articulation of the feelings of citizens on both sides of the political spectrum.

SREĆKO MIHAILOVIĆ

SOCIOLOGIST, DEMOSTAT CHIEF RESEARCHER

PLAYING THE “GREEN POLITICS” CARD EXCLUSIVELY IS NOT A GOOD RECIPE

WITH SUCH TORTUROUS STRETCHING OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS LOCAL INITIATIVES IN SERBIA, THERE IS THE LACK OF A SYNERGETIC POLITICAL ALLIANCE AMONG EXISTING INITIATIVES.

Today’s social treatment of environmental problems is tethered in a triangle marked by three issues. On the one side is the real need for organised politicising of the most important environmental issues as a way to resolve them - environmental issues are political issues, if we understand politics in human discourse. On the other side, it is essential for the organisational connecting of numerous local environmental initiatives. Instead of a biased understanding of the old motto “think locally, act globally”, or vice versa, as some environmental activists insist, the point ought to be on merging opinions and actions, and on unifying the local and the global. And on the third side, we find the misuse of environmental issues with the aim of promoting political parties. With such torturous stretching of the social and political interpretations of environmental problems, it is understandable that, despite the fact that there are numerous local initiatives in Serbia, there is the VOTERS, WHETHER THEY’RE SUPPORTERS OF THE RULING PARTIES OR THE OPPOSITION, THINK lack of a synergetic political alliance among existing initiatives. In this context, there appears to be promise in Nebojša Zelenović’s “Green Deal for Serbia”, which has to date - through the Open Civic Platform “Akcija” [Action] - brought together 28 THAT SERBIA’S PROGRESS IS CONNECTED TO TAKING CARE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. NONETHELESS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ONLY environmental organisations from around 60 towns and cities. THREE PER CENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY It is important to note that in this endeavour, “green politics” is not understood only in a narrow context, nor does the overall activity of the projected organisation boil down to a narrow unWOULD VOTE FOR A GREEN PARTY, WHICH IS A RESULT OF THE DISTANCING OF (EVERY) POLITIderstanding of ecology (and it is known that single-issue parties CAL LEADER FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION very rarely achieve any significant success).

The question, however, is whether the support of citizens exists for solving the most relevant environmental problems, and how broad that support is. In order to determine how citizens see ecological problems, and particularly environmental protection problems, IIC Demostat has conducted five public opinion polls over the last three years. Here I will mention only two findings from the last survey (a telephone poll conducted at the end of July this year on a sample of 1,200 respondents).

The only shared determination between the two opposing views of environmental protection, given by supporters of the ruling parties and supporters of the parties that boycotted the last parliamentary elections, is the stance that Serbia’s progress is connected to taking care of environmental protection. This opinion is shared by 71 per cent of supporters of the ruling parties and 71 per cent of supporters of the boycotting opposition bloc. The juxtaposed position, which is advocated implicitly by the government and implied that we should be concerned about economic benefits regardless of the environmental damage, is supported by about a fifth of citizens.

Nonetheless, on the other hand, when asked who they would vote for if parliamentary elections were held tomorrow, only three per cent of respondents said they would vote for a green party. It is obvious that the unreasonable distancing of (every) political leader from environmental action has taken its toll. This will continue to be the case if there is a continuation of the manipulation according to which social changes are possible despite politics.

NEMANJA MILOVIĆ

FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE WEBSITE KLIMA 101 (CLIMATE 101)

BELGRADE ELECTIONS – REQUIEM FOR A LUMBERJACK?

WILL SHORTAGES BE FOLLOWED BY THE INFLATION OF FAKE WARRIORS FOR THE GREEN FUTURE OF SERBIA? MANY POLITICAL LEADERS ARE RACING TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AS ENVIRONMENTALISTS, BUT THE GREEN SUIT DOESN’T SUIT EVERYONE. THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS IN BELGRADE COULD BE THE FIRST TEST VERIFYING THE CREDIBILITY OF THE OPTIONS ON OFFER.

The topic of environmental protection is undergoing a genuine renaissance in Serbia today, and it is very good that this has finally happened. The development of technology (primarily social networks and air-quality monitoring apps) has led to the hard work of civil society organisations aimed at highlighting the decades-long negligence that exists in this area finally bearing fruit, such that the public in Serbia is now much better informed about the environmental situation. This fact, along with the mobilisation of citizens at the local level with the aim of fighting the construction of mini hydropower plants, has led to the formation of a genuine, modern ecological movement in Serbia.

A new political arena has opened, while all polls show that this issue is undoubtedly important to citizens, which is also why we see all political actors racing to express their stance and take a position. But this issue is still very new in our country, so it will be necessary for more time to pass before leaders distinguish themselves. In the meantime, there is the risk of a kind of inflation of ecological parties, and a possible populist approach to the entire issue.

When it comes to the formation of a green party in Serbia, I think we are a long way from having a serious party that is at the level of, for instance, what the Greens represent in Germany. But certain parties and movements that could be characterised as green are already operating in our country. The Ne davimo Beograd [Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own] movement has had the characteristics of a modern green-left party since it was founded, FORTUNATELY FOR THE CITIZENS OF SERBIA, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FIELD IS SUCH while Nebojša Zelenović’s Together for Serbia party has made THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO HIDE THE REAL RESULTS a clear shift towards “green” topics, while new political figures are also emerging, such as environmental activist Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta. Furthermore, some of the largest opposition parties in the country presented their green platforms during the OF WORK, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THIS AREA IS LESS POLITICISED THAN ALL OTHERS, WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS HARDER (THOUGH NOT previous period. IMPOSSIBLE) TO “SPIN” CORE PROBLEMS

Similarly, the takeover of the departments of energy and environmental protection, as well as media appearances, clearly indicate that the ruling party has also recognised the importance of this topic. Fortunately for the citizens of Serbia, the environmental protection field is such that it is difficult to hide the real results of work, while at the same time this area is less politicised than all others, which means that it is harder (though not impossible) to create “spin” that diverts attention away from important things and the causes of problems. All of this should lead to genuine competition, which could really result in improving the quality of the environment in Serbia.

I believe that the potential exists for green parties in Serbia, not only because of the increased interest on the home front, but also because of the increasingly favourable situation on the international front, where the fight against climate change is becoming an extremely important issue.

However, although their development path could be faster compared to what we’ve seen in other countries, it is still essential for a certain period of time to pass in order for these ideas to mature. The campaign and results of the elections in Belgrade could provide a good indicator of how the situation could develop further, and I expect be the issues of pollution and environmental protection to be among the three main topics of the campaign.

ZVEZDAN KALMAR

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR, CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – CEKOR

WE NEED GREEN ACTION!

A PROFOUND, STRATEGIC CHANGE OF SOCIETY TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF WE RADICALLY CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE REGARDING THE WAY WE PRODUCE AND CONSUME.

The national and global situation that I could unreservedly define as catastrophic with regard to the state of the environment, but also the ramifications for human health, is a direct consequence of the new century’s rationalist (“I think that I think therefore I believe I exist”, though I would immediately cut short the torment of readers by answering with the question: “You really think that you exist if your existence is not established by God?”) and the nihilistic spiritual format that places man and his industrially (when we say industrial, that doesn’t necessarily refer to the machine-based or automatic production of goods and services in industrial plants and complexes, because these plants are a CONSEQUENCE of industrialisation as a central value deed, action, but it also refers primarily to the central need of man to present, or pre-self-perform, his existence as HIS OWN PRODUCT, as in I-produce and maintain myself; I am the centre of the existence of the planet and the whole universe, I am dependent only on myself and my ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INVENTIVENESS) generated needs unscrupulously at the centre of the entire movement of the planet.

Such a “mechanisation of man” leads to the need for Partybased, Leviathan, unifying, TOTALITARIAN planning-organising into a great IMPERIAL Machine that unscrupulously devours its own prerequisites of production: resources (because this planetary Machine Man represents a poem, the house rules of God) and human capital.

A profound strategic change of society from this one that’s catastrophically devouring resources and people in the direction of an ecologically/domostroy and Eucharist-based sustainable society is possible only through an all-encompassing change of attitude towards Purposes and Existence itself, which will result in an altered attitude towards the natural environment and health. Without cognisance of the delusion and the deep erroneousness of imperialism as the final phase of capitalism (which, as we see, has been continuing for almost two hundred years without any indication that it will overcome itself through the revolutionary awakening of the ENSLAVED, BECAUSE EVEN THE ENSLAVED DREAM AND LIVE FOR THE DAY WHEN THEY WILL ENSLAVE OTHERS, as the communists wanted, whose proponents, willing or unwilling, we all are), it will not be possible to turn to the only possible God’s economy, God’s purposes, God’s science based on social, economic, political and spiritual action.

“Yes”!, I thus think that “YES, a GREEN option is essential!”, but this option must be based on Profound Existential Cognisance that all the Leviathans of the modern age (Capitalism, Liberalism, Neo-Liberalism, Fascism, Communism, and even the latest ecologies of various profiles and attitudes that it would worth elaborating on specifically, but here in this short form that’s NOT POSSIBLE, but I think the indicators are sufficiently EMBLEMATIC) sooner or later they UNAVOIDABLY LEAD AND WILL LEAD to increasing climate change, pollution, health catastrophes, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN’T RECOGNISED THE CENTRAL PROBLEM, and that is EGOTISTICAL – A consumerist values environment that ALIENATES MAN FROM GOD’S ETHOS, intentions, PLAN, blessings, purpose, meaning. CHANGE IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF THERE IS A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT AWAY FROM THE VALUE SYSTEM UNDER WHICH WE CURRENTLY LIVE