This morning, the National Assembly will meet to discuss what has become a heated political as well as environmental issue in Serbia – the opposition news on the proposed law banning the exploration and exploitation of lithium, and boron. These developments take place in a widening framework both economically and environmentally, which makes it a critical point in the history of resource management in Serbia.

The assembly which started at 10 am has attracted some level of concern from the public and especially after what tension had escalated into after the last round of discussions and the extreme way the agendas were turned down.

There is only one item on the agenda which is very clear in an already heated political quarrel inducing high chances of violence and of course a lot of tension between the participants and even outside the members of the audience.

Let’s remind that Prime Minister Ana Brnabić explained that the initial delay of the lithium debate was impeded by the need for thorough preparations but also regarded today’s session uncensored as ‘a political reality show’. Brnabić declared that there is no adequate basis for the proposal in front of the parliament and accused the opposition of failing to provide convincing counterpoints.

On the contrary, Zdravko Ponoš, the leader of the opposition movement, alludes to the session as a chance to ‘expose the facts’ behind the ruling party’s agenda on lithium. Ponoš emphasized that such issues as lithium exploitation and their economic and environmental aspects should be discussed and reasonable arguments advanced.

Bojan Klačar, CEDIS’s Executive Director, finds that this session is necessary for both the ruling and the opposing parties. In his opinion, both sides must offer credible and convincing arguments to the voters provided that they wish to show their side of the story.

Bearing in mind both the sensitive nature of the issue, as well as the fiercely divided positions on the lithium both economically and environmentally, that session is likely to have its dramatic moments but equally, important conversation regarding the natural resource politics of the country where its consumption will in the future be regulated.

This session may be the turning point for the political weather of the country while simply serves as a contest for the aspiration of the democracy in view of the polity.