In the run-up to the seventh EU-Africa summit, scheduled for the end of November in Angola, MEPs and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, discussed the future of the partnership between the two continents on the evening of Tuesday 21 October.
According to Mr Brunner, cooperation between the European Union and Africa is based on four key priorities: - prosperity, with the implementation of the ‘Global Gateway’ investment plan; - peace and security, supported in particular by European missions; - migration and mobility, combining the fight against irregular migration with the promotion of legal channels; - multilateralism, rooted in the defence of a rules-based international order.
Lukas Mandl MEP (EPP, Austrian) stressed that the ‘Global Gateway’ was essential to the partnership with Africa, saying - quoting Ronald Reagan - that the best engine for development remained the economic partnership, based on trust, the rule of law and the reliability of the EU.
Marit Maij (S&D) called for the European programmes Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 to be strengthened, in particular to encourage cooperation between young people. The Dutch MEP also called for fair and responsible trade in the mining of African resources.
György Hölvényi (PfE) emphasised the need for African leaders to provide adequate education for their young people in the face of a demographic explosion that will increase the population of the African continent to 2.5 billion by 2050. The Hungarian MEP advocated investment in education to turn this challenge into an opportunity, rather than a source of conflict and mass migration.
Małgorzata Gosiewska (ECR, Polish) defended the idea of a genuine partnership based on respect, education, sustainable development and “concrete” cooperation, rather than “charity” or “empty promises”.
Hilde Vautmans (Renew Europe, Belgian) called for a new era in intercontinental relations, moving from a logic of aid to a partnership of equals focused on education, peace, security and shared prosperity.
Erik Marquardt (Greens/EFA, German) called on the EU to distinguish itself from its competitors, notably Russia, by offering Africa a partnership based on democracy, human rights and sustainable development.
Finally, Marc Botenga (The Left) advocated breaking with the “unfair economic agreements” of the past, which, according to the Belgian MEP, explain why many African countries are now turning to China as a more respectful partner. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)