Africa and the EU: An all too Long Fallow Opportunity—Underappreciated and Squandered

Rainer Wieland analyzes the role of the European Parliament in the relations between the European Union and African states from the perspective of a long-standing former Member and Vice-President of the European Parliament. He assumes that mutual knowledge on the one hand and mutual appreciation on the other are important for the relationship. Against this background, he explains the development of the European Union as a history of constant compromise. The agreement on common basic principles in the European Union, such as human rights and the rule of law, were also compromises. As the only directly elected supranational parliament in the world, the European Parliament stands for supranational democracy and is unique in many respects. It plays a key role in relations of the European Union with African states and for the development of Human Rights, for example through the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, election observations and the Sakharov Prize. Rainer Wieland emphasizes that personal contact is crucial for any relation and that parliamentarians can act as forerunners for personal meetings and personal respect.