https://www.dw.com/en/eu-cancels-election-observation-mission-to-ethiopia/a-57418226
The European Union decided to back out of their mission to oversee the Ethiopian general election in June. This comes after EU Representative Joseph Borrell stated that the Ethiopian government would not meet their conditions set in the agreement. While the EU may not directly oversee the election, it has kept their mission of spreading democracy by financially investing approximately $24.1 million into the National Election Board of Ethiopia. Ethiopian government officials have responded by ensuring citizens that the international observatories were not necessary and partly blaming the EU for the lack of compromise in the agreement. The election has become vital for citizens as the Ethiopian government has been accused of human rights violations in the Tigray area and postponing the election to keep power during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EU pulling out of the mission is not surprising due to the amount of other issues they are dealing with, such as COVID vaccine shortages and political infighting among members. The Ethiopian government should be able to have fair elections, but the question becomes at what cost? The EU has invested millions of dollars into Ethiopia, yet Ethiopia has still not addressed their two main issues. The Ethiopian government should be held accountable for their human rights violations before the EU invests more money in their government. It would be the most effective way to maintain peace throughout the region, not just Ethiopia.
The EU pouring money into Ethiopia can be seen through two distinct perspectives. Ethiopia is the second largest populated country in Africa; therefore, it could be said that the EU wants to maintain their power in that region of Africa through a realist perspective. The EU’s power has been declining as states have been leaving or further dividing apart. The realist perspective would make the most sense because of the current political climate of the EU. On the other hand, through a liberal perspective, the EU is looking to restore peace and maintain democracy in Ethiopia for the betterment of the people. The liberal perspective can be seen as EU has been known to help out states in need, especially those in Africa.