While much of Europe’s political elite gathered at the annual security conference in Munich, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chose a different stage. Instead of joining debates dominated by transatlantic tensions and war in Ukraine, she traveled to Addis Ababa to attend the summit of the African Union – becoming the only Western head of government present.
At a time when European leaders are preoccupied with relations with Washington and internal security concerns, Meloni directed attention southward. “Italy and Europe cannot think about their future without giving Africa the attention it deserves”, she told African heads of state. “Our future depends on yours”. That message reflects a strategic calculation increasingly shared across parts of Europe: Africa is no longer a peripheral concern. It is central to Europe’s economic resilience, demographic balance, energy transition, and geopolitical positioning.
Africa’s importance to Europe rests on several pillars. The continent holds vast reserves of critical raw materials essential for green technologies, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. It possesses enormous agricultural potential and is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. As Europe grapples with aging demographics and labor shortages, Africa’s human capital represents both opportunity and challenge. Energy security is another factor. Europe’s drive to diversify energy sources has heightened interest in African gas, hydrogen, and renewable capacity. Infrastructure corridors linking Mediterranean ports to African production hubs are no longer abstract development projects; they are strategic assets in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Migration, too, ties the continents together. For years, irregular migration across the Mediterranean has shaped European domestic politics. Meloni addressed this directly, arguing that migration should not be treated as the only option for young Africans. She quoted Cardinal Robert Sarah in describing it as “selfish” to assume departure is the inevitable path. Instead, she emphasized investment in education, industrial cooperation, and job creation within African states – enabling citizens to build futures at home. This approach reflects a broader European realization: stability in Africa directly affects stability in Europe. Economic collapse, conflict, or governance failures south of the Mediterranean quickly translate into political pressure north of it.
Meloni’s presence in Addis Ababa was not merely about Africa; it was about Italy.
Rome has long aspired to play a more influential role in European and global affairs, yet it has often been overshadowed by Berlin and Paris. By positioning Italy as a bridge between Europe and Africa, Meloni is attempting to carve out a distinct diplomatic identity.
She proposed deeper cooperation in training, technology, and artificial intelligence. The emphasis on innovation signals that Italy does not see Africa solely as a resource supplier or migration partner, but as a potential co-architect of future economic ecosystems. Her strategy also reflects geopolitical pragmatism. As major powers compete for influence across Africa – from China’s infrastructure investments to Gulf states’ financial engagements – Europe risks marginalization if it fails to engage systematically. By stepping forward at the AU summit, Italy presents itself as proactive rather than reactive.
Meloni’s diplomatic positioning becomes even more striking when contrasted with developments in Munich. While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticized what he called the “MAGA culture” of the Trump administration, Meloni adopted a conciliatory tone. She warned against widening the rift between Europe and the United States and stressed the need to shorten, not deepen, transatlantic divides. Her relationship with former and current U.S. President Donald Trump is widely regarded as constructive, and she signaled openness to participating – at least as an observer – in Trump’s newly established Peace Council in Washington.
If Italy joins such a forum, it would become the first major EU country to engage with the initiative, which some European governments view skeptically. This move underscores Meloni’s effort to balance loyalty to European structures with pragmatic engagement across the Atlantic. In doing so, she subtly differentiates Italy from both Berlin’s caution and Paris’s ambitions for European strategic autonomy. Rather than framing Europe’s future as detached from the United States, she appears to envision Italy as a mediator – connecting Europe to Africa while maintaining workable ties with Washington.
Meloni’s statement that “Europe’s future depends on Africa” may sound rhetorical, but the underlying logic is increasingly difficult to dispute. Europe faces structural constraints: slow growth, demographic stagnation, industrial transformation pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty. Africa, by contrast, represents dynamism – though accompanied by governance challenges and uneven development. The strategic question is whether Europe can transform proximity into partnership.
The African Union, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Addis Ababa, aims to promote political and economic integration among its 55 member states, coordinate positions on international issues, and strengthen peace and security mechanisms. Engagement at this level signals respect for continental agency rather than fragmented bilateralism. For Italy, this engagement also carries domestic resonance. Mediterranean stability is inseparable from Italian security and economic interests. Ports, trade routes, energy pipelines, and migration corridors converge on Italian shores. By elevating Africa in foreign policy discourse, Meloni aligns international strategy with national geography.
Meloni’s decision to “skip Munich” was not an absence but a statement. It suggested that Europe’s debates about security and autonomy cannot ignore the southern dimension.
In an era of multipolar competition, influence is measured not only by military capacity but by networks of partnership. By investing diplomatic capital in Africa, Italy seeks to move from being a peripheral European actor to a pivotal connector between continents. Whether this strategy succeeds will depend on follow-through – sustained investment, credible development programs, and coordinated EU backing. But the message from Addis Ababa was clear: Africa is no longer an afterthought.
For Europe, and for Italy in particular, the path to strategic relevance may not lie solely in conference halls in Munich or Brussels. It may increasingly run through the capitals of Africa, where demographic momentum, resource wealth, and political transformation will shape the contours of the 21st century.
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