PM: Activists Using Rio Tinto as Tool Against Vucic

Ana Brnabic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

Serbia's Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has said that the goal of the traffic blockades repeatedly organized throughout the country is to oust Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and that the controversy surrounding lithium mining by Rio Tinto is merely "one step in the assault on Vucic."

In a Jan 9. evening interview for Pink TV, Brnabic maintained that the blockades are not motivated by any green agenda -- which she said would be legitimate -- adding that the protests' organizers should admit that the protests are, in fact, political.

To illustrate her point, Brnabic said that protests staged by the Alliance of Serbia's Environmental Organizations openly stated that the gatherings were being held to oppose the president of the country.

Asked what the government will do should the activists decide to block border crossings, as was previously announced, the prime minister said that she could not take such "insolence" seriously.

Brnabic reiterated that the government of Serbia is very close to annulling all permits issued to Rio Tinto and stressed that the current authorities were not the ones to bring Rio Tinto to Serbia in the first place. The prime minister added her belief that such a move would not stop the protests because the protesters are constantly changing their demands -- which Brnabic sees as further proof that their goal is to topple the current government.