Prospects following South Africa's 2019 elections

Auf einen Blick 02-07-2019

Regional economic and political leader, G20 member, and elected to a United Nations Security Council seat in 2019 for the third time since the end of apartheid, South Africa is a strategic EU partner. Recognised as one of only two full democracies on its continent in the 2018 Democracy Index, South Africa nevertheless faces considerable problems, affecting both the economy and a fragile social fabric still affected by its apartheid history. The governing party's election success comes as no surprise, although its falling popularity increasingly puts its ability to address South Africa's challenges into question. In this context, a revived EU-South Africa strategic partnership could provide a framework for enhanced cooperation in sensitive policy areas.