Sara Pavkov

Sara Pavkov
Сара Павков
Pavkov in 2025
Minister of Environmental Protection
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 April 2025
Prime MinisterĐuro Macut
Preceded byIrena Vujović
Personal details
Born1992 (age 33–34)
Novi Sad, Yugoslavia
PartySerbian Progressive Party (since 2012)
University of Novi Sad

Sara Pavkov (Serbian: Сара Павков; born 1992) is a Serbian politician serving as the minister of environmental protection of Serbia since 2025. A member of the Serbian Progressive Party, she has been a member of the party's presidency since 2021. Before becoming a minister, she was an activist in non-governmental organisations, a secretary for environmental protection in the Government of Vojvodina, and an advisor in the Ministry of Environmental Protection. In April 2025, she was appointed minister in Đuro Macut's cabinet. As minister, she has worked on waste management, improving the air quality, and amending the Law on Air Protection.

Early life and education

Sara Pavkov was born in 1992 in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, and grew up in the city's Telep neighbourhood. She studied at the Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium.[1] After the Gymnasium, she enrolled into the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Novi Sad, where she studied undergraduate and master studies, later starting doctoral studies.[2] In a 2021 interview with Gradske info, Pavkov revealed that she initially wanted to study at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade, but that she ended up enrolling into the Faculty of Sciences on her father's recommendation. As a Faculty of Sciences student, she received multiple awards. After graduating from the Faculty of Sciences, she started working at the faculty.[1] She later became a researcher at the Faculty of Sciences.[3]

Career

In her biography, Pavkov noted that she worked in non-governmental organisations, as well as government institutions. She is the founder of the association Zeleni Sad and participated in the Novi Sad working group Zelena stolica.[2] Between 2013 and 2020, she worked on 20 civil society projects related to environmental protection.[3] Since 2019, her association Zeleni Sad has received din. 9.5 million in subsidies from the government, according to a report from the investigative journalist website BIRN. Pavkov stepped down as chair of Zeleni sad in 2020 and was succeeded by Miloš Stojanović. Despite this, the organisation operated on her property until 2025, when she became a government minister.[4]

Pavkov started her career as a secretary for environmental protection in the Government of Vojvodina.[2] In 2020, she transitioned to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, where she worked as an advisor and later as the head of the ministry's team.[3] Pavkov co-chaired the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26),[2] where she notably welcomed Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, to the event.[1]

Pavkov became a member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in 2012.[1] As a member of the SNS, she has worked in international relations, including the accession of Serbia to the European Union process.[2] She became a member of the party's presidency in November 2021.[1]

Minister of Environmental Protection

The composition of Đuro Macut's cabinet was announced on 14 April 2025, with Pavkov mentioned as a candidate for the minister of environmental protection.[5] Pavkov was elected minister on 16 April,[6] succeeding Irena Vujović.[7] She is the youngest minister in Macut's cabinet.[1]

Tenure

As minister, she said that she would prioritise her work on climate change, air pollution, and environmental protection.[1] In an interview with the newspaper Blic, she stated that her ministry would work on waste management, water waste, improving the air quality, as well as expanding the area of protected areas. She has announced that the government had planned to reconstruct seven wastewater treatment plants and amend the Law on Air Protection, which she stated has not been changed since 2009. Regarding the 27 acquis for the accession of Serbia to the European Union, she has stated that there has been some improvements on closing the chapter.[8] In May 2025, it was announced that the government of Serbia adopted the amendment for the Law on Air Protection.[9] In an interview with the Radio Television of Serbia, she has said that the amended Law on Air Protection would impose stricter penalties for breaking the law.[10]

The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that it allocated funds for afforestation and greening in 28 municipalities in September 2025.[11] In October 2025, during a National Assembly session, Pavkov claimed that the Pioneers Park in Belgrade has not seen environmental damages since the creation of Ćacilend. The N1 television has reported that since the creation of Ćacilend in March 2025, greenery has been destroyed and presence of waste has increased in the park.[12] In the same month, her ministry allocated stations for measuring air pollution for 28 municipalities.[13] A month later, the European Investment Bank and the Ministry of Environmental Protection signed a €35.5 million deal for the creation of a sewerage network in Borča.[14] In December 2025, she promoted changes to the Law on Waste Management in a Blic article,[15] and said that her ministry would work on increasing funds for the care of protected areas.[16]

The ministry's budget for 2026 was allocated to din. 25.6 million.[17] Pavkov announced in April 2026 that her ministry would also work on water protection, stating that it plays a key role regarding mitigating climate change. She has also said that the government began working on several projects related to sewerage networks and water purification.[18]

In 2027, Serbia will host the World Environment Day.[19]

Personal life

Besides her native Serbian, she speaks English and German. She was previously a karateka.[1] She has co-authored 11 academic papers about environmental protection.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Marković, R. (15 April 2025). "Od Jovine gimnazije do klimatskog samita u Glazgovu: Ko je Sara Pavkov, najmlađa ministarka u Vladi Srbije koja će brinuti o životnoj sredini?" [From Jova's high school to the climate summit in Glasgow: Who is Sara Pavkov, the youngest minister in the Government of Serbia who will take care of the environment?]. Danas (in Serbian).
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ko je Novosađanka koja je predsedavala klimatskim samitom COP26 u Glazgovu?" [Who is the Novi Sad woman who chaired the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow?]. 021.rs (in Serbian). 2 November 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Bulajić, Jelena (14 April 2025). "Ko je Sara Pavkov, nova ministarka za zaštitu životne sredine: Najmlađa u novoj Vladi, u SNS od svoje 20. godine" [Who is Sara Pavkov, the new Minister for Environmental Protection: The youngest in the new Government, in the SNS since she was 20]. NOVA portal (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  4. ^ Gmizić, Dragan (13 February 2026). "Milioni za organizaciju povezanu sa ministarkom: Slučaj Zeleni Sad" [Millions for an organization connected to the minister: The Zeleni Sad case]. BIRN (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  5. ^ "Predlog nove vlade Srbije stigao u Skupštinu: Ko su novi ministri" [The proposal of the new government of Serbia reached the Parliament: Who are the new ministers?]. N1 (in Serbian). 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Izabrana nova Vlada Srbije: Đuro Macut premijer" [New Government of Serbia elected: Đuro Macut as Prime Minister]. NOVA portal (in Serbian). 16 April 2025. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Sara Pavkov, biografija: Ovo je nova ministarka zaštite životne sredine, zamenila Irenu Vujović" [Sara Pavkov, biography: This is the new Minister of Environmental Protection, replacing Irena Vujović]. Blic (in Serbian). 14 April 2025.
  8. ^ Lekić, Marija (30 April 2025). "Zakon o zaštiti vazduha uskoro predmet sednice Vlade Ministarka Sara Pavkov o ciljevima za prvih 100 dana Vlade, poglavlju 27 i upravljanju otpadom" [The law on air protection will soon be the subject of the Government session Minister Sara Pavkov on the goals for the first 100 days of the Government, chapter 27, and waste management]. Blic (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Vlada Srbije usvojila Predlog zakona o zaštiti vazduha" [The Government of Serbia adopted the Draft Law on Air Protection]. N1 (in Serbian). 15 May 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Ministarka Pavkov: Srbija dobija novi zakonski okvir za borbu protiv zagađenja vazduha" [Minister Pavkov: Serbia is getting a new legal framework for the fight against air pollution]. Radio Television of Serbia (in Serbian). 4 June 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  11. ^ "Potpisani ugovori za pošumljavanje u 28 gradova i opština u Srbiji" [Signed contracts for afforestation in 28 cities and municipalities in Serbia]. Danas (in Serbian). 3 September 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Ministarka Pavkov ne vidi uništavanje Pionirskog parka, studente u blokadi optužila da zagađuju životnu sredinu" [Minister Pavkov does not see the destruction of Pionirski Park, accused the students in the blockade of polluting the environment]. N1 (in Serbian). 7 October 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  13. ^ Gligorović, Slavica (6 October 2025). "Nove stanice za merenje zagađenja vazduha u 28 opština uz pomoć EU" [New stations for measuring air pollution in 28 municipalities with the help of the EU]. Radio Television of Serbia (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  14. ^ "EU daje 35,5 miliona evra za kanalizaciju u Borči" [The EU provides 35.5 million euros for sewerage in Borča]. N1 (in Serbian). 5 November 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  15. ^ Pavkov, Sara (25 December 2025). "Sara Pavkov: Zakon o upravljanju otpadom vidim kao temelj čistije Srbije" [Sara Pavkov: I see the law on waste management as the foundation of a cleaner Serbia]. Blic (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Pavkov: Ostajemo posvećeni širenju teritorije pod zaštitom i jačanju zaštite prirode" [Pavkov: We remain committed to expanding the territory under protection and strengthening nature protection]. Radio Television of Vojvodina (in Serbian). 16 December 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  17. ^ "Sara Pavkov: Budžet za zaštitu životne sredine za 2026. veći nego ikada" [Sara Pavkov: The environmental protection budget for 2026 is bigger than ever]. Danas (in Serbian). 13 December 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  18. ^ "Pavkov: Voda ključni saveznik u borbi za ublažavanje klimatskih promena" [Pavkov: Water is a key ally in the fight to mitigate climate change]. N1 (in Serbian). 7 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  19. ^ "Pavkov: Srbija domaćin Svetskog dana zaštite životne sredine 2027" [Pavkov: Serbia will host World Environment Day 2027]. Blic (in Serbian). 25 February 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
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