Will this time really be different? Twenty years of trying (and failing) to reset Europe-Africa relations

With the European Union hoping that 2020 will be a pivotal year for its relationship with Africa, Emily Jones' Global Policy Journal article examines two decades of cooperation between Europe and Africa in three key areas: development finance, migration, and trade and investment. As European leaders try to reset their relations with African countries, the article examines how and why past attempts to do so have failed. It highlights the need for leaders on both continents to openly acknowledge and discuss the deep-seated tensions, divergent interests and trust deficit that have so far undermined cooperation, and delivers policy recommendations on how these issues can be addressed.