Viola von Cramon-Taubadel: People of Serbia Rightfully Concerned over Rio Tinto Project

Viola Von Cramon (YouTube snapshot)

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, a Greens-European Free Alliance member of the European Parliament (EP), has said that the people of Serbia are rightfully concerned over Rio Tinto's project in their country and have every right to protest.

In an interview for the Dec. 6 edition of the Nova daily, Von Cramon added that the ruling echelon in Serbia knows only the language of force and violence, citing as proof the authorities' reactions to the recent protests and road blockades.

Asked what stance the European Union and EP hold on the Jadar Project, Von Cramon said that she could not speak on behalf of the entire assembly or Union. She did state that "the people [of Serbia] are rightfully scared, because Rio Tinto has everything but an impeccable record, which [is evidenced by] the experiences of other countries."

Von Cramon further maintained that Rio Tinto should now feel obligated to make all of its plans public, given that "the current state of affairs only encourages suspicions of shady agreements and potential corruption. "That is why I believe the people have every right to protest," she said.

Asked to comment on how the Serbian government reacted to the clashes during the protests, Von Cramon said that the pictures she saw were "shocking." "They not only sent police -- special forces units -- to confront the protesters, but also hooligans who physically attacked citizens," the European MP explained, adding that such actions are unacceptable and completely incompatible with the rule of law, which, she emphasized, should have to exist in Serbia.