Since 2023, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy awards the “Lighthouse” prize to individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage, integrity, and commitment to the public good. Previous laureates include Katarina Petrović (2024) and Aleksandar Obradović (2023). This year, the award went to Irena Joveva, member of the European Parliament from the Republic of Slovenia. The award was presented by Igor Bandović, director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, whose full speech you may find below.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

Tonight, we gather to do something increasingly rare — to recognize and honor courage, consistency, and moral clarity in public life. The “Svetionik” Award was created to shine a light on individuals whose integrity and commitment illuminate the path for all of us.

This year, that light leads to a person who has shown, in the most difficult moments, what it means to be a voice of justice — to Irena Joveva.

Irena Joveva was born in 1989 in Jesenice, Slovenia. She graduated in journalism from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana and began her professional career as a journalist reporting on European politics and institutions. In 2019, she was elected to the European Parliament, where she distinguished herself in the fields of human rights, democratization, media freedom, and youth policies.

She is recognized as an authentic voice for students, civic initiatives, and all who believe that Europe must be a community of values, not merely interests. What sets her apart is her principled and unwavering commitment to defending human dignity, freedom, and justice.

At a time when the protests in Serbia received little attention in European institutions, Irena insisted that the voices of Serbian citizens be heard. She was among the Members of the European Parliament who consistently highlighted the struggle of students and citizens in Serbia for justice, dignity, and democratic freedoms.

On the anniversary of the tragedy in Novi Sad, Irena wrote a text that moved all those committed to justice. Tonight, I would like to share an excerpt:

“Unfortunately, justice does not prevail because it is stronger, but because it is more persistent. Evil is hard, but good is stubborn. I am not physically on the streets of Novi Sad today for a reason, but know that every sincere fight for justice, anywhere in Europe or the

world, is also my fight. True values are not defended from afar; nor are they defended merely by proximity. They are defended through conviction, courage, and steadfast belief.

I believe that the entire Union will come to understand this. If there has ever been a chance to write a textbook for a better future for Serbia — the only real textbook — that moment is now.”

Ladies and gentlemen, this year we present the “Svetionik” Award to a person who carried the light of persistence into European institutions and reflected it back toward Serbia when it was most needed.

Irena, on behalf of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy — we thank you.

Thank you for being a voice for Serbia when its voice struggled to be heard.

Thank you for choosing courage.

Thank you for standing firmly on principle when many others could not.

We congratulate you wholeheartedly — the 2025 laureate of the “Svetionik” Award.

Prior to receiving the reward, Ms. Joveva met Dijana Hrka, a mother who is seeking justice for her son and other victims of the canopy collapse by protesting in front of the National Assembly of Serbia. In her speech upon receiving the reward, Ms. Joveva stated that this award goes to everyone since this fight is universal, that she will not stop fighting nor turn her head from injustice since she knows this fight is not in vain.

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The last panel of the Belgrade Security Conference 2023 titled “Greater and Better EU: 20 years from Thessaloniki Summit” was moderated by Milica Delević, Director for Competitiveness, Governance and Political Affairs, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and was focused on discussing the challenges of the future of the enlargement process and the new candidates’ readiness for the membership. 

Tetyana Kovtun, Executive Director, Reforms Delivery, Office of the Cabinet of Minister of Ukraine, stressed that the EU enlargement was an existential issue for Ukraine and that the aim of this process was to remain sovereign and independent. Kovtun pointed out that the support for EU integration inside Ukraine increased over the last few years and that even though Ukraine is at the beginning of its EU accession process, it hopes that the negotiations will be opened this December. She also noted that Ukraine will continue its fight for EU values.  

H.E. Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of European Union to the Republic of Serbia, stated that the enlargement question had never been more imperative since the Thessaloniki Summit, as a result of Ukrainian suffering, and that the Western Balkans had a huge opportunity. He expressed the need for parallel deepening and widening of integration and stressed that the objective of the European enlargement had two aspects: it is a geostrategic decision, but it is also about providing people with a better life. The Ambassador continued by stating that this could only be achieved “if the citizens understand the specific moment in which we live”.  

Jovana Marović, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs, Republic of Montenegro, emphasised that the new momentum for the Western Balkans meant business as usual˝ since she did not see the political will to seize the moment. She stated that it was not possible to have deadlines in the EU enlargement, but that it was possible to have roadmaps. She added that she believed that Montenegro could be ready for accession by 2030, but that there was only one enlargement process which meant that all candidates should help each other.  

Vladimir Međak, Member of the Main Board, European Movement in Serbia, said that the EU was currently thinking about things that the civil society and experts had been talking about for five to six years. He continued by saying that this particular enlargement would need to have out-of-the-box solutions since regular ones are not working. Međak raised the question of the role of media controlled by the regime in influencing public opinion on the EU and added that “what the population thinks about the EU is what the government wants them to think”.  

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A panel discussion on the role of the European Political Community (EPC) took place on 12th October, debating the role of the EPC as a contributor to the security of the continent, the current trends in European integration, and ways in which various non-like-minded actors can come together and make decisions, through the EPC. Through the moderation of Isabelle Ioannides, Senior Policy Analyst, European Parliament’s Research Centre, the panelists agreed on the potential of the EPC to bring diverse actors to the table, giving equal opportunity to all states to discuss matters of joint concern.

Alexandre Adam, Member of the French Council of State and former Europe Advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, shed light on the reasons behind initiating EPC, which would be the “governance vacuum in Europe” and a new security order on the continent, after the Russian aggression in Ukraine. He believes that the EPC has been established as a forum for discussion on “equal footing” between the EU Members and other participants.

Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), explained that the Prague summit exemplified the popular opinions on the EU enlargement, that it has failed exponentially, and that some of the more powerful EU Member states are guided by ulterior motives by initiating EPC. However, she explained that the reality of the situation is that “the geopolitical moment had been born in Ukraine”, and we had to take that into account when approaching the topic of enlargement. She emphasised that in managing issues such as migration and energy, “the Western Balkans should not only have a say but play a crucial role”.

Nick Heath, Head of the Europe Strategy and Expertise Department, UK Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, gave insight into the UK’s position on the topic of EPC and its general role. He stated that the EPC still lacks clarity. With regards to the EPC, he noted that there are a couple of things unique to it: the ability to be inclusive and comprehensive, the political capacity to gather state leaders, and, finally, tremendous direction-setting possibilities. He explained that there are many levels of European integration and that saying that the EU is at the center of it would not be appropriate. It is a forum for discussion, and not a decision-making or delivering mechanism.

When discussing the EPC, Alexandra Matas, Director of International Security Dialogue, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, highlighted that “we don’t have to share the same values to cooperate”, but it makes it easier. She claimed that the EPC has the ability to bring “the groups of non-like-minded, that share a common interest of tackling trans-national issues”. “But a beautiful family photo will not be enough, it needs to make an impact”, she added.

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