Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić appreciated that the media in the region write in raptures about the protests "wishing Serbia to be worse", but he has no problems with that. It seems, however, that the whole region will continue to have problems with Vučić, because now the summer is hot in Serbia, inflamed even more by the protests of environmental organisations and citizens against lithium mining.
Of course, there is also the inevitable 'Russian aid'. Moscow and its services have warned Belgrade that behind the demonstrations lies an attempted 'coup d'état and unrest'. On the other hand, Belgrade's media, which is controlled by Vučić, is organising a hysterical campaign to save him. The President reassures them heroically that these things 'will not succeed', so Serbia is moving forward and people do not have to worry, but can watch their sports games, i.e. the Serbian services are doing their job and there will be no assassinations of him and other senior politicians. Once again, it is being speculated here that the protesters' discontent is creating an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty, anxiety and fear.
Vučić and his satellites do not leave the TV screens for one purpose: to accuse the demonstrators that their protests are not environmental, but political, and that behind them there is an attempt to remove the President from power or to stage his assassination. After Serbia's biggest ever environmental protests, on 10 August, which came after demonstrations in 20 Serbian cities before that, arrests and threats followed, because the authorities are aware that these protests will not abate. Pandora's box is open and the Serbs are unlikely to allow themselves to be preyed upon once again by their politicians.
The analyst Teofil Pancic commented ironically in the newspaper Danas: "It is a little unclear to me why such anxiety about lithium. Why is life with lithium and Vucic so unacceptable, as opposed to life without lithium but with Vucic?"
After cordons of 300 policemen were sent against the demonstrators in full combat readiness, as if dealing with terrorists, Vučić is now balancing. He said that "the protests were held in a democratic atmosphere", but that there was also a "mockery of democracy". He promised to talk to the people and is ready for a referendum. "I will be the most dangerous policeman for Rio Tinto and lithium," Vučić said.
Kosovo is temporarily forgotten, the "Rio Tinto" company and lithium are in vogue. These are the two cards up Vucic's sleeve that he must either fall with or save his power. The risk of new mass protests is high. As independent observers in Belgrade predict - either the public will find the strength to renew itself, or Serbia will sink even deeper, and this game cannot end with an unsettled result. I BGNES
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Eli Yurukova, correspondent of BGNES News Agency in Belgrade.
