Dar es Salaam – The European Union is walking a diplomatic tightrope in Tanzania, simultaneously imposing quiet sanctions while publicly championing a policy of “dialogue” with a government it accuses of undermining democracy.
In a rare, in-depth interview, the EU’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Christine Grau, confirmed that the bloc has already taken punitive financial measures against President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government following the country’s deeply flawed October 2025 elections and the brutal crackdown that accompanied them.
Speaking with Khalifa Said of The Chanzo, Ambassador Grau revealed that the EU had “withheld its signature from the Annual Action Plan of 2025” and that some member states had independently frozen funds for certain projects.
This admission, the first public confirmation of such measures, lays bare the fundamental tension at the heart of the EU-Tanzania partnership: a clash between the EU’s stated commitment to democratic values and its pragmatic pursuit of strategic and economic interests in a volatile geopolitical landscape.
“It already happened,” the Ambassador stated when pressed on whether the EU would move beyond condemnatory statements. “We have not agreed on some of the projects for international banks. So it has already happened.”
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This quiet pressure, however, has been largely overshadowed by the EU’s continued high-level engagement with the Tanzanian government. This policy has drawn sharp criticism from some human rights advocates as well as the Tanzanian opposition.
These critics fear it legitimises an administration that came to power through a deeply compromised electoral process.
What withholding the signature means
The Annual Action Plan (AAP) is the operational key that unlocks EU development funding for a given year. When the EU withholds its signature from an AAP, it does not simply express disapproval—it freezes the disbursement of new funds and halts the launch of new projects and programmes. This is a concrete financial sanction, not merely a diplomatic gesture.
In Tanzania’s case, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development committees formally objected to the EU’s proposed 2025 Annual Action Plan totalling €156 million, prompting the European Commission to suspend its implementation.
This freeze has put at risk a wide range of EU-supported programmes, including civil society initiatives, media freedom projects, education, health, governance, and energy infrastructure. While existing projects funded under previous agreements may continue, the pipeline of new development cooperation has been effectively shut off.
The measure represents a significant step below a full aid suspension and is technically reversible—if Tanzania addresses EU concerns, the EU can sign the AAP and release the funds. This reversibility gives the EU leverage to encourage policy changes.
However, it also creates significant uncertainty for the NGOs, government agencies, and communities that depend on EU support. For a country where EU aid represents a substantial portion of development financing, the freeze has tangible consequences for development progress and social programmes.
A partnership on the brink
The current crisis in EU-Tanzania relations was ignited by the October 2025 general election, which saw President Samia returning to office with an improbable 97.66 per cent of the vote.
The election was widely decried as a farce, with the African Union’s own observers noting it failed to meet democratic standards.
The violent state response to the youth-led protests, which human rights groups have described as a campaign of “unlawful lethal force,” left hundreds dead and deepened the political chasm.
READ MORE: EU Parliament Committees Object to €156 Million Funding for Tanzania Amid ‘Democratic Backsliding’
The European Parliament responded swiftly and unequivocally, passing a resolution in November 2025 that condemned the repression and called for the suspension of EU aid.
Yet, just weeks later, in a move that stunned some observers, a high-level Tanzanian delegation led by Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo was welcomed in Brussels for talks aimed at “deepening cooperation.”
This apparent contradiction was the central focus of the tense exchange between the journalist and Ambassador Grau.
The journalist challenged the ambassador to reconcile the EU’s public commitment to dialogue with the Tanzanian government’s narrative that the Brussels meeting was a resounding success for its efforts to secure development aid and investment.
Khalifa Said: How should Tanzanians interpret this engagement—as a sign that the EU will hold the government accountable for violations, or as a signal that the relationship will continue regardless of whether there is accountability for the violence of October 29, 2025?
Ambassador Grau: I cannot talk for the Tanzanian government on how they should interpret it. But I think what is very clear is that as the European Union, and that includes member states, we are not only an economic body. We are a political and economic body… The European Union, of course, also… sees itself in a different geopolitical position now, and we are looking for reliable partners, we’re looking for stability… But as the European Union, we will always be based on a political, value-based community as well.
While the ambassador insisted that human rights and democracy were discussed “at the highest political level” in Brussels, she conceded that the EU had not issued a formal statement to that effect, a silence that has allowed the Tanzanian government to control the public narrative of the meeting. However, she clarified that not issuing a public statement was not “unusual.”
Sovereignty defence
When presented with the Tanzanian government’s frequent charge that the EU is interfering in its internal affairs, Ambassador Grau mounted a robust defence of the EU’s mandate to speak out on issues of human rights and democracy.
Khalifa Said: On what basis does the EU claim the right and mandate to comment on and criticise Tanzania’s handling of these internal issues?
Ambassador Grau: It’s not EU values, it’s universal values, and Tanzania has signed up to universal values as well with the UN charter… If I were your sister and you did something I don’t like, would you prefer I don’t tell you? You would say you’re really obnoxious, and you’re very annoying, but you would tell me thank you for telling me, I will work on this.
This analogy, however, may ring hollow to those who see the EU’s actions as less of a sisterly chat and more of a geopolitical power play. The ambassador acknowledged that the EU is not always consistent in its application of its values, but she attributed this to the complexities of the modern world rather than to deliberate hypocrisy.
An uncertain future
Looking ahead, Ambassador Grau indicated that the EU is in the process of “recalibrating” its relationship with Tanzania, with a full “reassessment” scheduled for the summer of 2026.
She also revealed that the European Parliament’s influential Committee on Human Rights has requested to visit Tanzania in the coming months, a visit that is likely to further intensify the scrutiny on President Samia’s government.
Yet, when asked if the EU has “red lines” that, if crossed, would trigger a more severe response, the ambassador was evasive.
Khalifa Said: Does the EU have red lines?
Ambassador Grau: That’s a good question… I cannot tell you now [that] this will be our red line for Tanzania because we have principles on which we work.
This reluctance to define the EU’s breaking point leaves the future of the partnership shrouded in uncertainty.
READ MORE: Treason Charges Dropped Against Hundreds of Tanzanian Youths Following Presidential Directive
While the EU has demonstrated a willingness to take some punitive measures, its overarching desire for “stability” and “reliable partners” in a turbulent world may ultimately temper its appetite for a full-blown confrontation with the Tanzanian government.
The interview with Ambassador Grau has pulled back the curtain on the EU’s delicate balancing act in Tanzania. It has revealed a bloc that is torn between its founding principles and the hard-nosed realities of international relations.
For the people of Tanzania, who are living with the consequences of their country’s democratic decline, the question remains: when push comes to shove, will the EU’s values or its interests prevail?
