Keypoints:
- Smaller EU states deepen Africa engagement
- Fresh diplomacy aims to counter global rivals
- Trade, security and tech partnerships grow
A WAVE of smaller European Union states is expanding its diplomatic and security presence across Africa, signalling a broader strategic recalibration as global powers intensify their competition on the continent.
Countries such as Finland, Estonia, Romania, Malta and the Czech Republic have upgraded their Africa policies over the past five years, opening embassies, launching security missions and building trade routes in an effort to secure long-term partnerships beyond the reach of traditional EU power centres.
Alex Vines of the European Council on Foreign Relations said this shift reflects a major rethink across the bloc. ‘There is a wave of second-generation Africa policy refreshes completed and underway. It shows the growing importance of Africa across the EU including for its smaller member states.’
New competition, old challenges
Africa has become a renewed diplomatic battleground. China, Russia and the United States are all pursuing minerals, energy partnerships and political alliances, challenging the EU’s bid to present itself as Africa’s ‘leading partner’ in trade, development and security.
That positioning will again be on display at the EU–AU summit in Angola on June 16 and 17, where Brussels hopes to reinforce cooperation after several geopolitical setbacks.
China has entrenched its access to key resources, while Russia has gained influence as a preferred security ally in states such as Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali — all of which pivoted away from France following military coups. These shifts triggered concern within EU capitals. One diplomat told AFP: ‘We needed to somehow get back into the game.’
History as an asset
Unlike Europe’s former colonial powers, several smaller EU members say their own histories allow them to build more equal and less paternalistic relationships.
A second European diplomat said: ‘We are not seen as the big oppressor from the past telling them to do this thing or the other.’
Estonia, which joined the EU after emerging from Soviet rule, sees parallels with African states seeking stronger governance systems. Daniel Schaer, Tallinn’s ambassador to Kenya and South Africa, said: ‘In the ’90s, we had all of these advisors coming to tell us how we should do things. So I think our advice is in some ways fresh.’
Finland argues its long struggle for independence creates natural goodwill. Kaarina Airas, head of Africa policy at Finland’s foreign ministry, said: ‘Our African partners want trade, they want political relations with us and not only development aid.’
Embassies, digitalisation and security training
A 2021 policy review led Finland to open a new embassy in Senegal. Sweden and Denmark followed with their own missions, as Helsinki targets a doubling of Africa trade by 2030.
Estonia has used its digital expertise to support e-governance and service modernisation from Namibia to Uganda. The Czech Republic has deployed instructors to train Mauritanian security forces. Hungary has established both a diplomatic presence and a humanitarian hub in Chad, with plans to launch a military training mission.
These initiatives serve multiple interests: pushing back against extremist threats, managing migration, diversifying energy partnerships and promoting contracts for domestic companies.
Progress, but uneven and early
Analysts caution that these new engagements remain in their early stages. Geert Laporte of ECDPM said some states faced ‘teething problems’ as they built Africa strategies almost from scratch.
Capacity remains a challenge. Estonia maintains only one embassy on the continent, in Egypt, forcing Schaer to spend half his time travelling. Finland, meanwhile, is working with companies that only recently began exploring African markets — with the exception of Nokia.
Still, economic indicators suggest momentum. Estonia’s trade in goods with Africa has nearly doubled since 2019. Hungary’s has risen by 35 percent. Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic have posted more modest but steady increases, though all remain below the EU’s overall 25 percent growth rate.
Airas said the direction of travel is clear: ‘We are on a good path.’
