The European Parliament has approved the 26-member European Commission for 2024-2029, ushering in a new leadership team set to assume office on 1 December.
Among the key appointments is Jozef Síkela, a Czech banker and former Minister of Industry, now tasked with overseeing the EU’s development cooperation as Commissioner for International Partnerships. With a budget of €70.8 billion for 2021-2027 under the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument, Síkela will lead EU-African relations alongside European Union Delegations and the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Estonian Kaja Kallas. Despite the vast resources at his disposal, Africa’s explicit presence within the Commission’s revised portfolio structure appears limited.
A cornerstone of the Commissioner’s mandate is scaling up the Global Gateway initiative, the EU’s flagship response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Central to this strategy is the Africa-Europe Investment Package, targeting €150 billion in public and private investment for infrastructure, health, education, and climate adaptation projects by 2027. Although this represents a significant financial commitment, the Commissioner’s remarks during his confirmation hearing placed heavy emphasis on improving communication and marketing rather than outlining transformative strategies for engagement. His stated goal to evolve the Global Gateway from a “start-up” to a “scale-up” reflects a focus on refining existing programmes rather than introducing groundbreaking initiatives.
Africa receives surprisingly little attention in the formal mission letter defining Síkela’s responsibilities. Out of 2,500 words, only 37 are explicitly dedicated to the continent, with a vague pledge to strengthen the Africa-EU partnership and address mutual concerns through the Global Gateway. Similarly, there is no direct reference to the Africa-EU Partnership, a supposedly key priority for the Commission. This omission raises questions about Africa’s prominence in the EU’s broader geopolitical and developmental strategies, particularly given the continent’s critical role as both a trade partner and a focus of EU foreign policy.
Interestingly, Africa features more prominently in the mandate of Kaja Kallas, the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Her mission letter commits to a renewed approach to the Sahel region and preparations for the next EU-African Union Summit in 2025.
However, the restructuring of DG DEVCO into DG International Partnerships in 2021 signals a broader shift in EU priorities, moving away from development and poverty eradication towards aligning its partnerships with European geopolitical and economic interests.
African nations, therefore, face a more transactional relationship with the EU, as development cooperation increasingly serves as a tool for advancing European objectives in an unstable global environment.
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