Senegal’s Political Shift and the Quest for Equal Partnership

What does the future hold for EU-Africa cooperation? Are we witnessing a true partnership of equals or simply old patterns dressed in new language?

Europe and Africa: Shaping a New Era of Dialogue, a podcast series by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), takes a closer look at the changing dynamics between the two continents in a shifting global landscape. Grounded in field research and local perspectives, each episode uncovers the main forces driving change and the hurdles to building a fair and SUSTAINEBLE partnership.

In this second episode, Vladimir Blaiotta, Researcher in the Mediterranean Middle East and Africa program at IAI, takes us to Senegal – a key EU partner facing a political turning point. The discussion explores Senegal’s critical role in migration and regional security, its expanding ties beyond Europe, and the impact of recent political upheavals. The episode also highlights major economic projects like in the energy transition and Italy’s Mattei Plan, raising important questions about whether these efforts will foster genuine equality or simply reinvent old imbalances.