ECFR Africa

From shield to sword: Europe’s offensive strategy for the hybrid age – European Council on Foreign Relations Europe’s defensive measures to shield its democracies from hybrid attacks are no longer enough. If Europeans want to protect their peace and prosperity, the tim

❗️NEW
Europe faces constant asymmetric threats—in Africa and elsewhere. In this @ecfr.eu policy brief, Will Brown and colleagues take a look at global hybrid threats Europe is confronting today and what it should do to defend its democratic societies.
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🤝 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬: As Africa diversifies partners and global alignments shift, the Plan’s relevance depends on embedding Italy in African hedging strategies—through EU coordination, trilateral coalitions and industrial partnerships that make Rome a structural partner.

🌍️ 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The Mattei Plan is a national strategy in a fragmented European landscape. Closer alignment with Global Gateway and European bilateral initiatives could amplify impact, with Italy helping drive a coherent European presence in Africa.

🏭️ 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Can Italy systematically integrate Africa’s industrialisation into its value chains, beyond resource access and toward joint industrial and tech partnerships that enable real transformation?

🌍️🤝 Meloni’s presence in Addis underscored that the Mattei Plan is intended to complement African priorities, not run in parallel.
🔦 Below are some reflections from @madprocopio.bsky.social on the real tests ahead.

❗ We also took a closer look at ESG standards and how they stymie the investment needed to unlock access to critical minerals. European policymakers should rebalance the weight of ESG standards and ensure that African needs are better reflected.
buff.ly/T9m0KLm

From ore to more: Mineral partnerships for African industrialisation – European Council on Foreign Relations After decades of extractive mining, the industrialisation of resource-rich African countries has fallen short of expectations. To change this—and give Europe a

In this brief we assessed how the European offer can stand out.
🤝 To be better partners, Europeans should make policy adjustments to encourage European participation in African mineral value chains and commit to local value addition.
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Since the start of the year, numerous global events have highlighted the growing geopolitical importance of critical minerals.
📑🌍 Time to take another look at some of our @ecfr.eu publications!

We discussed how Europe should adapt its energy agenda in Africa to the continent's realities and industrialisation objectives. @ecfr.eu
💰️ Europe can shape market rules and provide predictability for private investment, said @madprocopio.bsky.social.
📺️ Watch here: buff.ly/x71oNKW

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

🌍 Africa’s energy transition is not following a linear shift from fossil fuels to renewables. How Europe engages with African energy transitions will demonstrate whether it can adapt to a multipolar world, write @madprocopio.bsky.social and Sarah Logan.
📑 Read here:

💡 Last week we discussed Africa's energy alliances and where Europe fits into the picture. Clement Sefa-Nyarko argued that Europe needs to be more accepting of African transformation paths and industrialisation needs.
The recording is available here 👇https://buff.ly/x71oNKW

Missed out on our webinar last week? The recording is available on our website now!

❗ European regulation needs to align with and respond to African realities and industrialisation objectives, said Andrei Marcu.

🎥 Watch here: buff.ly/x71oNKW

📢 Italian and African leaders are meeting in Addis Ababa today for the second Italy-Africa Summit. Meloni aims to boost #Italy’s role in #Africa and review the progress of the Mattei Plan.
❗Read more about Africa+1 summits in 2026 below. @ecfr.eu
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Carbon bargain: Where does Europe stand in Africa’s energy game? – European Council on Foreign Relations Africa’s energy landscape is rapidly transforming as countries pursue industrial growth and broader energy access, while leveraging different partners—from Chin

👩‍💻 Join us today!
We will explore how Europe can effectively recalibrate its climate and energy engagement in Africa and use its comparative advantages to adapt effectively to a multipolar world. @ecfr.eu

⏰️ 11:30 - 12:30 CET

Sign up here ✏️👇

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

🪫♻️ African countries view the energy transition as a tool for economic transformation, contrasting Europeans’ more limited focus on decarbonisation. We assessed these dynamics and how Europe can align with African priorities.

Read the @ecfr.eu paper here 👇

Don't miss out on a timely discussion on aligning Europe's decarbonisation efforts with African countries' energy priorities.

📍Thursday 12 Feb, 11:30 CET, Zoom
🗣️ @madprocopio.bsky.social, Andrei Marcu, Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Sarah Logan

📝 Register here: buff.ly/UJcKoJ1

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

📢 Join us online for an event in which we will examine what tangible alignment between European and African energy agendas actually requires. @madprocopio.bsky.social @ecfr.eu

🗓️ 12 Feb, 11:30 CET
📍 Zoom
📰 Read the paper here: buff.ly/5QP3bRa

Sign up here 👉 buff.ly/yJi06gO

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

🤝🌍 "African actors are leveraging the interest of international players in Africa’s untapped energy domains. This structural hedging complicates Europe’s preferred model of stable long-term partnerships," write @madprocopio.bsky.social and Sarah Logan.
Read here 👇

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Carbon bargain: Where does Europe stand in Africa's energy game?. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Carbon bargain: Where does Europe stand in Africa's energy game?. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join us for the online launch of our latest @ecfr.eu brief "Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances".

📆 Thur, 12 Feb
⏰️ 11:30 CET
🎤 @madprocopio.bsky.social, Andrei Marcu, Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Sarah Logan

📝 Register here: buff.ly/UJcKoJ1

From summits to substance: Europe’s chance to meet Africa on its terms – European Council on Foreign Relations Africa is awash with summits this year. If Europe wants to stand out, it must stay long after the photos have been taken.

🌍️❗In conjunction with the AU Summit, Italy is hosting its Africa summit in Ethiopia in less than two weeks—a significant strategic step towards consolidating the Mattei Plan.
📑👇 Read more about the clustering of Africa summits in 2026 and what it means for Europe below.

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

"How Europe engages with African energy transitions will demonstrate whether it can adapt to a multipolar world where multiple powers assert different priorities," say @madprocopio.bsky.social and Sarah Logan.

Read the @ecfr.eu paper here 👇
buff.ly/LsHaCtq

Time to align: How Europe can compete with China on clean tech in Africa – European Council on Foreign Relations The EU must take concrete steps to support African ambitions to move exporting or processing raw materials and become a maker of clean technologies.

Our colleagues from @ecfrasia.bsky.social assessed clean tech competition with China in Africa. Europe needs to become a maker of clean technologies and align trade, industrial and climate policies with the development outcomes it claims to champion.

Full article below 👇
ecfr.eu/article/time...

Europe-Africa relations in 2026 – European Council on Foreign Relations Mark Leonard welcomes Nathalie Delapalme, Carlos Lopes and Alex Vines to discover the pathways and bottlenecks facing the Europe-Africa relationship

🎧️🎙️ Driven by demography, global minerals demand and Africa's growing diplomatic weight, the continent’s strategic relevance is rising. We took a deep dive into what will shape Europe-Africa relations this year. @ecfr.eu
Listen here 👇

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

🤝♻️ In a new brief, we assess how Europe should adapt to Africa's climate and energy objectives. @ecfr.eu @madprocopio.bsky.social

(1) Align with industrialisation, not just decarbonisation
(2) Leverage complementarity, not conditionality
(3) Deploy capital more flexibly

Learn more 👇

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

African countries view the energy transition as a tool for economic transformation, to deliver jobs, industrialisation and development. This stands in contrast to Europeans’ more limited focus on decarbonisation, write Sarah Logan and @madprocopio.bsky.social
👇 Read more: https://bit.ly/4rfJD2d

We recorded a podcast episode with ECFR Director Mark Leonard, looking at Europe-Africa relations in 2026.
Take a listen below 💡🎧

From summits to substance: Europe’s chance to meet Africa on its terms – European Council on Foreign Relations Africa is awash with summits this year. If Europe wants to stand out, it must stay long after the photos have been taken.

📢📑 Africa is awash with summits this year, including those led by Italy, France, Russia, Turkey. It will be a test whether Europe can stand out from the rest—and whether it can move beyond symbolic engagement to steady, effective partnership. @ecfr.eu

Carbon bargain: How Europe can adapt to Africa’s new energy alliances – European Council on Foreign Relations Europeans must adapt their approach to supporting Africa’s energy transitions—or risk losing out to China and other competitors.

📢 NEW BRIEF
African countries view the energy transition as a tool for economic transformation which stands in contrast to Europeans’ more limited focus on decarbonisation. ♻️🌍
How can Europe adapt its approach and unlock its comparative advantage? @ecfr.eu
📑 👉 Read here: buff.ly/5QP3bRa

New commentary on Africa+1 Summits in 2026 and whether Europe can stand out is now available on our website. 👇📢

Angola’s Sovereignty Premium: How Debt Strategy Is Being Repriced as Geopolitical Agency Angola is paying a high “sovereignty premium,” swapping oil-backed Chinese debt for costly market financing to regain control over production and policy. By exiting OPEC and backing the Lobito…

Angola’s financial recalibration is inseparable from its evolving geopolitical posture. Luanda is pursuing a strategy of “agile non-alignment”, in which debt restructuring is not a technocratic exercise but a tool of statecraft, says Alex Vines. 👇