A parliamentary inquiry from Belgian MEP Barbara Bonte has highlighted concerns about the European Union's shifting stance toward its African partners.
Bonte, part of far-right PfE group, criticised the EU's approach to the continent in recent years as paternalistic, arguing that the EU’s frameworks have eroded long-standing partnerships and diminished the EU’s relevance in Africa.
The inquiry comes amid escalating demands from African governments for colonial reparations and formal apologies, as well as a noticeable shift in diplomatic and economic alliances.
Bonte argues that EU policies have backfired, alienating key African partners. She contends that rather than strengthening ties, EU diplomatic, economic, and ideological pressure has pushed many African nations to call for a more equal and respectful engagement as they meanwhile strengthened partnerships with other regions.
These demands have been particularly pronounced in several countries across West Africa who have re-evaluated their partnerships with European countries, as well as the Sahel region, where growing disillusionment with European interventions has led to the expulsion of EU missions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
The MEP pressed the Commission to disclose whether it has assessed these changing dynamics and what concrete steps it plans to salvage relations while advancing European interests.
The inquiry’s timing is critical, as Africa’s relationships with China and Russia continue to grow. China, in particular, has increased its commercial footprint across the continent rapidly, recently announcing plans to drop tariffs on imports from all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, the US is also enhancing its diplomatic efforts in the region.
The inquiry comes on the heels of the postponed EU-Africa Summit, now set for November 2025 in Angola.
