Green Transition of the Capitals of the EU Enlargement Countries

Speakers:

• Biljana Đorđević – Member of the National Assembly of Serbia
• Borislav Sandov – Former Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policies, Minister of Environment and Water, Bulgaria
• Tomislav Tomašević – Mayor of Zagreb
• Kata Tüttő – Deputy Mayor of Budapest
• Erion Veliaj – Mayor of Tirana
• Moderator: Burtejin Zorigt – Program Manager, Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Background:

All of the cities and countries represented in this panel are experiencing difficulties in the green transition. The moderator asked them about these challenges.

Main takeaways:

• Belgrade, Zagreb, and Budapest all had similar experiences: The initiative in Budapest is called the mini-Dubai. In contrast to Budapest, the initiative in Zagreb was launched by the previous local government, not the national government, so it was easier to shut it down. There was also huge outrage among the citizens.
• In Serbia, the main challenges are the lithium mines and the high-speed trains. Even though the country is committed to the green transition, having signed the agreement that is necessary for EU accession and the climate treaties, the Serbian government does not publicly communicate this commitment. Even in the documents, there is only mention of green transition, but not that it has to be just and fair.
  • Lithium indeed helps in the electric car industry, but it is debatable whether this is the only way forward: electric cars are not for Serbians, as they cannot afford them, and public transportation should be improved, which helps reduce CO2 more.
• The green transition in Bulgaria is challenging because there is a new election every half a year, which slows down processes. This is strictly a political crisis, but the country is doing well otherwise. Despite these challenges, there have been some successes in the green transition. For example, their Recovery and Resilience Plan is the greenest.
• Cities have a vital role to play in the green transition. In Budapest, the main challenge for the city’s leadership is financial difficulties. Cities are committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The role of politicians is to put climate issues on the national agenda – they have to think and have strategies. They have a roadmap to become climate neutral, which helps the city because they know how to achieve those objectives.
  • In Budapest, they put a lot of emphasis on participation: involving citizens in the processes. All cities have different ideas but share the same goal: climate neutrality.
• In Albania, they have been focusing on water dams, which have taken all the attention away from other sustainable sources/energy. The new generation of mayors does not see themselves as successors but rather as guarantors of the future for the next generations.
  • Children are an important channel for sending green messages: they are easier to convince.