Lithium Before Democracy: The Hidden Costs of Europe’s Green Transition
Europe requires vast amounts of critical raw materials to fuel their green transition. The European Union has invested in several strategic projects to boost their domestic CRM supply while reducing dependencies on importing from China. One of these projects, the Serbian Jadar Valley mine, shows the EU’s continued willingness to partner with Serbian President Aleksander Vučić despite his violent repression of protests and democratic backsliding. The EU has yet to overtly condemn Vučić, a strategic stance that has been intensely criticized by Serbians and European nations alike. How far will the EU truly go in their support of Vučić to prioritize their economic strategy?