17.11.2025.

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BCSP Announces Irena Joveva as the 2025 “Lighthouse” Award Laureate

Belgrade Centre for Security Policy awards the 2025 "Lighthouse" Award to Irena Joveva, member of the European Parliament from the Republic of Slovenia.

The “Lighthouse” Award has been awarded annually since 2023 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’s laureate is Irena Joveva, Member of the European Parliament and one of the most consistent European voices for democracy, justice, and civil freedoms.
Biography
Irena Joveva was born in 1989 in Jesenice, Slovenia. She graduated in journalism from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana. She began her professional career as a journalist reporting on European affairs, institutions, and political developments. In 2019, she was elected to the European Parliament, where she has been particularly active in the fields of human rights, democratization, youth protection, and media freedom.
Award Rationale
The “Lighthouse” Award is awarded to Irena Joveva for her persistent, courageous, and principled commitment to democracy and justice, both within the European Parliament and in the broader public sphere. She was among the few European voices who consistently drew attention to the protests in Serbia and to the struggle of students and citizens fighting for justice, dignity, and democratic freedoms.
Through her public engagement, Joveva demonstrated profound solidarity with all who oppose injustice, emphasizing that the fight for human rights is not a local cause but a universal obligation. In her writing and public statements, she has repeatedly stressed that the European Union cannot remain silent when democratic values are threatened, and that the credibility of its institutions depends on their willingness to support brave citizens.
In a text published on the anniversary of the tragedy in Novi Sad, Joveva wrote:
“Justice does not prevail because it is stronger, but because it is more persistent. Evil is hard, but good is stubborn.”
The BCSP highlights that Irena Joveva’s work represents a model of consistency, European solidarity, and responsible political action.
The “Lighthouse” Award will be presented to Ms. Joveva at the opening of the Belgrade Security Conference, which begins today in Belgrade and runs until November 19.

Tags: “Lighthouse” Award, BSC 2025, Irena Joveva

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