The Serbian ‘lithium deal’: A talk about the disastrous consequences of neo-colonialism powered by german government and car manufacturers.

If you like this episode, put some stars on it or send it to
someone who should listen to it. I make this all pro bono, but feel
free to support me per Ko-Fi oder PayPal. My weekly german
newsletter can be booked here steady. I work as a keynote speaker,
panelist and author. Feel free to contact me! Liljana Tomoviç is a
professor from the University of Belgrade with decades of
experience. As her research takes place primarily in the midst of
nature, she has a very deep insight into the changes that climate
change is already having on the country. Aleksandar Matković is a
member of the "Green-Left Front", the main left-wing opposition
party in the Serbian parliament, where he helps shape the party's
new economic policy. As a researcher he turned into a political
with questioning the dependency of his country regarding Chinese
corporates and got death threats after questioning lithium mining
in Serbia. Read his Open letter regarding Rio Tinto and the “mining
colony that Serbia is turning into”. In this episode of my podcast,
we talk about the very specific effects that the planned mining
deal, which in Germany is primarily based on the lithium
requirements of car manufacturers, will have on people in Serbia,
from environmental destruction to displacement. We talk about state
violence, which hundreds of thousands of people in the country
refuse to be intimidated by because they are afraid of a future in
which their country can no longer be worth living in because it has
been exploited in a neo-colonialist manner. In July of this year,
Belgrade gave the green light for lithium extraction, having
temporarily halted it two years previously following pressure from
environmentalists. Germany needs lithium, especially in the
automotive industry. Germany consumes more metal than many of its
neighbouring countries, a third of which is used by the automotive
industry. This means that Germany's consumption of raw materials is
far above a globally fair level. In the interview, we explain that
instead of aggressively securing access to critical metals, it
would be important to reduce the overall demand for raw materials,
emphasises Reckordt. Above all, this would mean building smaller
and fewer cars, initiating a turnaround in transport that reduces
dependence on cars, recycling raw materials and drastically
reducing energy consumption in industry. As a consequence, this
would mean carrying out a real green transformation and actually
reorganising the economy in a climate-neutral and ecological way
instead of creating rebound effects and shifting environmental and
human rights problems abroad. This does not go hand in hand with
Germany's self-image as a growing export and leading automotive and
industrial nation. For those of you who understand German, I also
recommend the previous episode that I recorded with Hannah from
Powershift. Here we shed light on the almost 100 per cent metal
dependency of Germany (and the German automotive industry) on
neo-colonial business relationships with countries in the Global
South. Serbia Protests, Mining Project, and Environmental Concerns
Aleksandar discussed the escalating protests in Serbia due to
changing laws allowing mining operations. He shared his involvement
in internationalizing the struggle, establishing an ecological
organization, and signing a declaration of international
solidarity. He also mentioned receiving death threats after
criticizing the economic aspects of the mine. Katja added that a
protest group member was sentenced to two years in jail, further
intimidating protesters. Aleksandar discussed the potential lithium
mining project in Serbia, highlighting its potential environmental
and social impacts. Ljiljana emphasized the importance of the
region's unique landscape for the survival of many populations in
Serbia. Both agreed that the project poses a complex problem with
various economic, social, and environmental risks. More details on
my website: https://katja-diehl.de/.