A Critical Discourse Analysis on the Concept of Partnership in AU-EU Relations

Abstract: Recent history on global north and south relations demonstrate years of inequality in the practice of development cooperation – a field often criticized for its Eurocentric ‘donor-receiver’ approach. In 2021, the African Union and European Union set out to renew their 20 yearlong partnership, and a new discourse of “partnership of equals” has been strongly promoted by the EU, suggesting a change of approach. This study analyses the EU’s Strategy for Africa through a critical discourse analysis (CDA). Deriving from development theory the study applies Fairclough’s three-dimensional model to better understand the concept of partnership and the relations of power. In addition to CDA, semi-structured interviews are carried out with young experts and coordinators who currently implement projects of the partnership and who contributes to this research by sharing their experiences and expectations. The findings suggest a problematic mismatch between the discourse used in the text and implementation of the partnership in relation to the promise of equality and partnership. The EU and Europe is positioned in a place of superiority in the discourse promoted and they fail to reflect on structural dimensions that might contribute to a significant change in how the two institutions partner.