African Youth's Views and Expectations on the Africa-Europe Partnership: A Survey Report on the New Generation Network

Key Chapter Title List

1. Background and Research Objectives of the 7th AU-EU Summit
2. Awareness of the 2022 6th Summit and Its Commitments
3. Assessment of the Implementation of the 6th Summit Commitments and the Global Gateway Plan
4. Expectations and Core Priority Issues for the 7th Summit
5. Overall Assessment of the Current Africa-Europe Partnership
6. Call for Paradigm and Process Shift: Joint Ownership and Mutual Accountability
7. Specific Demands for Promoting Africa's Economic Transformation
8. Linkages Between Peace, Security, Governance, and Sustainable Development
9. Review and Transparency Requirements for the Global Gateway Investment Plan
10. Power Imbalances and Narrative Dominance in the Partnership

Document Introduction

This report, released by the Next Generation Network under the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) on the eve of the 7th AU-EU Summit in 2025, aims to systematically present an in-depth assessment and strategic outlook of the intercontinental partnership between Africa and Europe from the perspective of Africa's young elite. The research covers 256 members of the Next Generation Network from 49 African countries. Their views represent the core concerns of the youth generation, which constitutes approximately 70% of Africa's population, providing a crucial unofficial civil society perspective and policy input for the upcoming leaders' summit in Luanda, Angola.

The report first reveals the cognitive gap and critical scrutiny of the implementation effectiveness of existing cooperation processes among the youth. Nearly half of the respondents lacked awareness of the 2022 6th Brussels Summit and its commitments (including the EU's Global Gateway investment plan for Africa). Among those who were aware, a general sentiment ranging from mixed to negative prevailed, with perceptions of slow commitment implementation and strong calls for enhanced transparency, joint accountability, and African ownership in the execution of initiatives like the Global Gateway. Although projects are advancing in areas such as digital connectivity and renewable energy, coordination gaps, insufficient local value creation, and bureaucratic delays constrain their overall impact.

Regarding the upcoming 7th Summit, respondents explicitly call for a fundamental shift in paradigm and process. Core demands include moving from declarations to pragmatic, co-led action; establishing a more balanced, action-oriented partnership; ensuring African agenda leadership rather than passive responses to European priorities; and strengthening monitoring, transparency, and African leadership. Specific policy priority areas encompass: promoting Africa's economic transformation (enhancing value-added production, fair trade, green industrialization); accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area; focusing on green and digital transition partnerships; prioritizing youth employment and skills development; and viewing peace, security, and good governance as cornerstones of sustainable development.

The report provides an overall assessment of the current Africa-Europe partnership, noting that while cooperation has deepened in areas such as trade, climate, and migration, showing potential, fundamental power imbalances, unfulfilled commitments (particularly in fair investment, technology transfer, and mobility), and a political narrative dominated by migration management continue to erode mutual trust and shared progress. Most viewpoints suggest the relationship still exhibits donor-recipient characteristics, lacking genuine co-investment, capacity building, and shared accountability. The future success of the partnership depends on African agency, transparent governance, alignment with continental priorities (such as Agenda 2063), and horizontal cooperation based on mutual respect and shared interests.

Based on firsthand qualitative feedback obtained from targeted research, the value of this report lies in moving beyond official rhetoric to directly address implementation gaps, structural contradictions, and intergenerational expectations within Africa-Europe cooperation. It provides policymakers, researchers, and analysts focused on Africa-Europe relations with a key reference for understanding the strategic thinking of the youth generation, assessing the local acceptance of flagship initiatives like the Global Gateway, and examining the future evolution of the intercontinental partnership.