In just a few days, leaders from Europe and Africa will meet in Luanda for the European Union–African Union Summit (24–25 November 2025). This summit marks 25 years of AU-EU partnership and 50 years of independence for Angola and several African nations, a moment to chart the future of their partnership. For decades, the relationship has been shaped by inherited narratives and cautious adjustments. Today, incremental steps are no longer enough: what is required is a deliberate reimagining of how Africa and Europe engage, negotiate, and build their shared future.

 

Africa, long portrayed mainly through its vulnerabilities, now asserts itself as a strategic engine of global dynamism. The continent is home to the world’s fastest-growing population, expanding digital markets, critical minerals reserves, vast clean-energy potential, and a diplomacy increasingly grounded in sovereignty and local value creation. Africa is no longer a backdrop; it is a protagonist of the 21st century.

 

Europe, too, is at a crossroads. Rising energy pressures, demographic aging, climate imperatives, and geopolitical fragmentation have pushed the EU to rethink its external engagement. Africa is no longer a peripheral concern, it is essential to Europe’s ambitions: green transitions, secure supply chains, stable security environments, and global influence. Maritime routes, food security, critical minerals, multilateral representation, all these priorities underscore a simple truth: Europe needs Africa as a co-architect of shared solutions.

 

This summit must catalyze a shift from transactional to transformational cooperation. Security support should reinforce African ownership, particularly as instability in the Sahel, maritime threats, and armed non-state actors pose challenges that neither continent can address alone. Economic ties remain robust: the EU is Africa’s largest trading partner and investor, while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opens doors to new regional value chains.

 

Migration, once treated as a fault line, is increasingly recognized as a driver of innovation and growth when responsibly managed. EU-supported mobility programs already allow thousands of students, workers, and researchers to circulate between the continents, a small but tangible proof that legal pathways can yield shared prosperity.

 

Energy sits at the heart of this partnership recalibration. Europe’s climate strategy hinges on access to critical minerals, green hydrogen, and clean power, while African nations depend on fair technology transfers, financing, and industrial partnerships to ensure sustainable development.

 

The reset Europe and Africa need is clear: recognize intercontinental dependencies. Europe’s competitiveness and climate leadership are inseparable from Africa’s stability, prosperity, and agency. Likewise, Africa benefits when Europe trusts African priorities, expertise, and innovation. The challenge, and opportunity is to transcend outdated hierarchies and forge a partnership built on co-investment, shared governance of mobility, and mutual respect for narrative sovereignty.

 

As leaders convene in Luanda, the choice is stark: cling to a partnership defined by the past or seize the moment to craft one fit for the 21st century. Resetting the Africa-Europe relationship is not a mere diplomatic exercise, it is a strategic imperative, and perhaps the moment that will define the course of this partnership for the years to come.

PUBLICATIONS

Aligning the EU’s Global Gateway and AFCFTA for Africa’s Sustainable Integration

 

Mahmoud Arbouch, Asya Pelkes

 

This paper explores how Global Gateway can complement AfCFTA by addressing infrastructure gaps, boosting intra-African trade, and fostering industrialization. Aligning the two initiatives could reduce logistical bottlenecks, strengthen regional trade, and create a competitive, integrated African market. Success, however, depends on strategic coordination, strong policies, and balancing external partnerships with Africa-centered priorities to safeguard long-term sovereignty and economic resilience... Read more

 

The Migration Dilemma: Europe and Africa’s New Compact

 

Ferid Belhaj

 

The issue of migration between Europe and Africa is not just a humanitarian or social dilemma, but a strategic challenge that will shape the twenty-first century. At its core, it reflects the collision of powerful forces, migration, climate change, human development, energy resources, rare commodities, and demographic pressures, each with significant geopolitical implications. Among these, migration, climate change, and human development stand out as critical issues that exacerbate and influence one another. Despite the interconnectedness of these issues, the policy responses from Europe and Africa remain fragmented, uncoordinated, and driven by narrow, short-term interests... Read more

 

EU-Africa Relations: Energy and the Green Transition in an Era of Crises

 

Len Ishmael

 

This report analyzes EU-Africa relations with a focus on the green transition and energy, highlighting opportunities for jointly owned cooperation that deliver mutual benefits. It examines the global climate, economic, and geopolitical challenges shaping policies in both regions, and explores Africa’s variable transition paths toward a low-carbon future. The report also considers risks posed by the EU Green Deal for Africa, the principles of climate justice, and the challenges of resetting the partnership amid volatility, presenting key findings and recommendations... Read more

 

Energy and Climate Finance in the Context of the EU–North Africa Partnership

 

Sabrine Emran, Hanne Knaepen, Larabi Jaïdi

 

This paper explores EU–North Africa energy and climate finance cooperation, highlighting the region’s solar and wind potential to support Europe’s decarbonisation and energy security while driving local green industrialisation. It emphasizes a just transition through renewable energy, job creation, and public-private partnerships, including investment in hydrogen and interconnections. The paper addresses North Africa’s adaptation finance gap, advocating blended finance, green bonds, and innovative funding tools. Finally, it stresses inclusive regional dialogues, local capacity-building, and structured governance to ensure sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships... Read more

 

Charting a green-energy transformation in Africa

 

Rim Berahab, Karim El Aynaoui

 

This paper examines Africa’s potential for a green-energy transformation, highlighting abundant solar, wind, and emerging technologies like green hydrogen to expand energy access and promote sustainable industrialisation. It outlines major challenges, including governance gaps, fragmented markets, high costs, and limited access to finance, which hinder renewable energy deployment. The paper emphasizes the need for innovative financing, regional integration, and domestic R&D to build local capacities and competitiveness. It concludes that coordinated action by governments, private actors, and international partners is essential to achieve a continent-wide, sustainable energy transition... Read more

 

The Mattei Plan

 

Abdessalam Saad Jaldi, Alessandro Cercaci

 

This paper examines Italy’s Mattei Plan, which aims to redefine engagement with Africa through strategic cooperation in education, health, energy, agriculture, and water. It assesses whether the Plan is a genuine policy shift or a repackaging of national interests amid concerns over extractivism and migration. The paper also explores its potential to evolve into a multilateral tool aligned with broader European and global initiatives... Read more

 

BOOKS AND REPORTS

Migration dynamics in the Atlantic basin: Case Studies from Morocco and Nigeria

 

Amal El Ouassif, Constance Berry Newman

 

This report examines African migration dynamics in the Atlantic basin through case studies of Morocco and Nigeria, highlighting demographic trends, migration flows, and the destinations of African migrants. It contrasts Moroccan migration to Europe with Nigerian migration to the U.S. and U.K., noting both successes and persistent integration challenges. The report underscores the strategic potential of African diasporas, particularly through remittances and investment, while emphasizing that most migration remains intra-African. It also situates African migration within broader geopolitical and economic contexts, including regional integration and foreign investment... Read more

 

Aftermath of War in Europe: The West VS. the Global South?

 

Edited by Len Ishmael

 

 

This book analyzes how the Global South perceives the cascading crises, highlighting rising debt, inflation, and economic vulnerability. It highlights the emerging geopolitical shift of southern countries toward non-Western alliances, reflecting a potential bifurcation of the world order. It also explores tensions created by Western policies, such as EU energy diversification and carbon border taxes, which impact the economic prospects of the Global South... Read more

 

SPECIAL BROADCASTS

Prospects for Deeper Economic Integration under AfCFTA

 

This episode explores the opportunities and challenges of achieving deeper economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). We discuss the potential for boosting intra-African trade, industrialization, and investment flows. The conversation highlights the need for infrastructure development, harmonized regulations, and stronger political will. It also examines how inclusive policies can ensure that integration benefits all segments of African societies... Watch

 

Migration, Development, and Power Asymmetries - Perspectives from Africa and Europe

 

This episode contrasts African and European migration approaches: over 70% of African migration is intra-continental and development-driven, while Europe focuses on border security and containment. Featuring insights from Alan Hirsch and Ivan Martin, the discussion explores regional institutions, global migration narratives, and ways to align Africa’s development priorities with Europe’s security-centered policies... Watch

 

PODCASTS

A Harmonized Trade Future Is Emerging Between Africa and Europe

 

Professor David Luke, Director of the Institute for Africa at LSE, explores Africa’s economic potential and its ties with Europe. He discusses demographics, trade asymmetries, the African Union, and the AfCFTA, highlighting the role of industrialization and strategic resource use in driving sustainable growth amid a changing global economy... Listen

 

The Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA

 

In this episode, we discuss the 2025 Economic Report on Africa and the transformative potential of the AfCFTA. Adam Elhiraika and Stephen Karingi from the UN Economic Commission for Africa share insights on how North African countries, especially Morocco, can drive industrial growth, economic diversification, and regional integration through strategic collaboration... Listen

 

 

AFRICAFE

(FR) The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Between Promises and Limitations

 

This episode of Africafé explores the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, its creation and mandate, which includes both advisory and binding powers. It reviews landmark rulings that have shaped its jurisprudence and examines its role within the African human rights system. The episode also highlights current challenges, including state withdrawals, political pressures, and limited resources, which undermine the Court’s effectiveness... Watch

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