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In recent years, European policy concerning Africa has surged, with no shortage of flamboyant plans from Brussels to engage with the fastest growing continent, a region teeming with promise yet overshadowed by persistent woes.
However, what is glaringly absent from these plans is a sense of urgency in the need to pivot away from a model dominated by aid dependency and reactive, overly securitized measures. The EU’s current trajectory leans too heavily upon tools of enforcement and too lightly on strategic, diplomatic, and policy ingenuity.
With rumors swirling about Donald Trump’s intentions when he returns to the White House in January, there is speculation that fears of a resumption of his “America First” agenda might prompt the EU to take urgent action. Yet, the facts paint a different picture.
European engagement with Africa is shackled by fundamental flaws and misconceptions. The misguided belief that Europe’s role is chiefly reactive, filling any voids left by US withdrawals, is not only ineffective but emblematic of broader missteps. This reactive stance perpetuates a cycle of dependency and demonstrates a lack of strategic vision that overlooks the unique strengths Europe could offer through genuine partnerships rather than paternalistic tactics.
Africa, a continent with some of the world’s fastest growing economies, and a youthful demographic poised to drive future global growth, requires collaboration on equal footing. This misalignment is further compounded by Europe’s own internal crises and its singular focus on countering external geopolitical threats.
Rather than acting as a supplementary force to American policy, Europe should recognize the dynamic shifts in Africa’s geopolitical landscape, marked by growing assertiveness and diversified global partnerships, and engage with the continent’s leaders to tackle shared challenges such as climate change, migration, and sustainable development.
This approach necessitates a move beyond the superficial engagements that only serve Europe’s interests to embrace a forward-looking partnership aimed at mutual benefit and shared prosperity.
Brussels often touts ambitious frameworks such as the European Green Deal but these are frequently overshadowed by more immediate concerns such as migration and security threats, which are managed through a narrow lens. Such an approach neglects Africa’s potential as a partner in efforts to address shared global challenges such as an overdue global energy transition and the intensification of climate-driven disasters, challenges that require collaborative, long-term commitments rather than short-sighted “Band-Aid” solutions.
The varying strategies among EU member states reflect fragmented efforts more rooted in colonial legacies and immediate national interests than a coherent, unified policy. France’s deep, historically entrenched ties with Africa through military, economic, and cultural networks might set a precedent but they often fail to move beyond a neocolonial posture.
Meanwhile, Germany and Italy, despite ramping up engagement, still appear driven by their own internal agendas rather than any unified European vision. This disjointed approach not only weakens Europe’s geopolitical stance but also misses the strategic opportunity to build meaningful, forward-looking partnerships with African nations.
As Europe’s patchwork of policies oscillates between development aid and security priorities, there remains a glaring lack of the genuine partnership frameworks which are needed in order to tackle global challenges.
Historical hangovers from Europe’s approach to Africa continue to undermine meaningful policies, since most tend to be mired in a paternalistic mindset that creates significant barriers to forming the kind of coequal partnerships that Africa desperately seeks.

The EU must abandon its paternalistic stance and engage with Africa as an equal partner.

Hafed Al-Ghwell

In addition, the European view of Africa as a mere recipient of aid rather than a key strategic partner reflects a deep-seated reluctance to adopt more radical approaches. This is evident in the political manifestos of European political parties, which continue to focus on security, migration control, and resource extraction, rather than championing economic growth and sustainable development.
The European People’s Party, for instance, emphasizes security-led narratives and border management, yet offers little on establishing strategic partnerships. Furthermore, the European Parliament’s apparent disinterest during electoral debates in Africa-EU relations reflects woeful neglect, partly spurred by immediate crises and dismally low policy bandwidth for a radical transformation of EU-Africa engagement.
This crisis-driven approach cripples long-term strategic planning and neglects the deeper interactions with African nations that are required to drive a shared agenda forward. An example of this is the cancellation of key meetings between leaders of the African Union and the EU, reflecting the strained relations over divergent policy stances.
These systemic issues represent a failure to evolve beyond colonial-era dynamics and mindsets, which impedes the EU’s potential to gain influence through real, collaborative partnerships.
For the EU to truly recalibrate its relationship with Africa, superficial policy updates are woefully insufficient; a comprehensive strategic reevaluation is paramount. This begins with acknowledging the emergence of Africa as a vital geopolitical force, not a mere beneficiary of European tutelage.
The EU must utilize its soft power more effectively through equitable trade, robust cultural exchanges, expansive educational programs, and advanced technological cooperation. Such measures must aim to empower African nations, encouraging growth from within, rather than sustaining a cycle of dependency through exploitative trade practices and one-sided agreements.
Concrete steps toward fostering self-sufficiency involve more than just economic incentives; they require sustainable investments in infrastructure, education, and technology that enable African countries to develop independently.
This includes the recognition of African priorities in international dialogues and decision-making processes, to ensure policies are shaped by those they impact the most. For instance, integration of insights from African leaders into European policy frameworks could lead to more effective and relevant initiatives.
The EU must abandon its paternalistic stance and engage with Africa as an equal partner, placing value on African perspectives and expertise to help forge policies that are genuinely collaborative.
By broadening its focus beyond security and migration, the EU can capitalize on emerging opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, digital innovation, and education. Such initiatives would not only improve Africa’s infrastructure and economic prospects but also strategically benefit Europe.
Investing in digital innovation in Africa could facilitate the growth of technological hubs akin to Silicon Savannah in Nairobi, which serve as nurturing economic environments for the incubation of local startups and help attract global ventures.
Furthermore, educational partnerships could address skills deficits and the development of the skilled workforces essential for sustainable development and the demands of an interconnected world.
The continent’s free-trade agreement, despite its challenges, signals a strong commitment to economic integration that Europe can reinforce by providing support for regional infrastructure projects. It is essential that the EU recognizes its engagement with the continent is not merely a goodwill gesture; it is a strategic imperative to help the bloc secure a foothold in the world’s fastest-growing regions.
This course correction should have taken place two decades ago. Yet even now there is a pivotal opportunity to realign. Africa is not merely a neighbor in need but a vital partner, one whose progress is intertwined with Europe’s own future. There is no better time than the present to embrace this partnership with vision, respect, and a commitment to shared prosperity.

• Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell