Sara Pavkov
Serbian politician (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sara Pavkov (Serbian: Сара Павков; born 1992) is a Serbian politician serving as the minister of environmental protection 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.
Sara Pavkov | |
|---|---|
Сара Павков | |
Pavkov in 2025 | |
| Minister of Environmental Protection | |
| Assumed office 16 April 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Đuro Macut |
| Preceded by | Irena Vujović |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1992 (age 33–34) Novi Sad, Yugoslavia |
| Party | Serbian Progressive Party (since 2012) |
| Alma mater | University of Novi Sad |
Early life and education
Sara Pavkov was born in 1992 in Novi Sad, Serbia, 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 of education 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 has 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]