Discovered in Serbia's Jadar region, jadarite might be considered miraculous – at least by the Serbian government and the Rio Tinto mining group. They view this lithium derivative as an ideal raw material source for electric car batteries. But activists say it destroys ecosystems and causes severe illnesses. After months of protests, the government cancelled the project, but as elections loom, many suspect it is purely a political manoeuvre. FRANCE 24’s Laurent Rouy reports.

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