Čadež in Brussels: Investors Do Not Choose Sides, They Choose Stability

President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) Marko Čadež, who participated in the annual meeting of the Schwarz Group, owner of Lidl, in Brussels, said that investors today, more than ever, are looking for stability, predictability and reliable partnerships.

“There are 300 people here from European institutions and the business community, including the European Commissioner for the Economy, and the topic is Europe and reliable partnerships. What every investor tells me here is that investors do not choose sides – investors choose stability,” Čadež said.

As an example of the importance of a reliable partnership, he cited Lidl’s operations in Serbia.

“Lidl has been present in Serbia since 2018. It has invested more than half a billion euros, opened 87 stores and two logistics centres, and employs more than 3,500 people. But what is less visible is that behind an investor like this stands an entire chain of our small and medium-sized enterprises. More than 600 products from Serbian producers are on Lidl’s shelves, and Serbian food reaches markets across Europe through its network,” Čadež said.

According to him, such partnerships demonstrate that the impact of a single investment extends far beyond the company making the investment.

“Lidl is not an exception. Germany is one of our most important trading partners. We have more than 10 billion euros in trade, more than 900 German companies operating in Serbia and around 80,000 jobs. None of this happened by chance. It is the result of years of stability, growth and consistent economic policy,” the CCIS President stressed.

Čadež emphasized that investors are not asking Serbia to choose between partners, but rather to provide conditions in which they can plan for the long term and develop their businesses.

“No one asks me what we will offer them. They ask me whether Serbia will remain predictable, because the cost of instability is not paid by Brussels or Berlin, but by a worker in Lapovo, a raspberry producer in Arilje, or a winemaker from Fruška Gora who was counting on a contract,” Čadež said.

“My job is to ensure that Serbia remains a country people come to, stay in and expand their businesses in. To ensure that people keep their jobs, that their wages continue to grow and that investments keep coming. Stability, growth and European partnerships – that is the path we need to continue on,” Čadež concluded.

During the meeting, Čadež spoke with Gerd Chrzanowski, CEO of the Schwarz Group, owner of Lidl, about the company’s operations and investments in Serbia.