João Lourenço met this Saturday, in Lisbon, with Philippe Gautier, Executive Director of the French Business Confederation (MEDEF International). At first glance, it looks like just another footnote in the diplomatic agenda of a President who had just concluded an official visit to Portugal. But behind this meeting lies a deeper question: what kind of Angola is João Lourenço selling to the world?
Since coming to power, the President has been insisting on the narrative that Angola is open to foreign investment, especially from Europe. The rhetoric is familiar: economic diversification, fighting corruption, restructuring the state, and so on. But when we look at the practical results, the question arises — are we truly changing, or simply repeating the old game of investor seduction, now with new faces and different accents?
MEDEF International is not just any organisation. It represents the major economic interests of France and is one of the most influential bridges between political power and private capital in the country. This meeting, therefore, is not innocent. It carries weight. What is worrying is the lack of transparency. What kinds of partnerships were discussed? Were there guarantees of openness? Or are we, once again, opening the doors to exploitation with no real benefits for the Angolan people?
Angola has a tragic history of ruinous deals with foreign companies — abusive contracts, absurd tax exemptions, and a political elite that enriches itself while the people remain stuck with miserable public services. Economic diplomacy, without mechanisms for accountability and social justice, becomes nothing more than a new version of the old colonial dependence, disguised as modernity.
João Lourenço must understand that the world is no longer impressed by photos of African presidents standing next to European CEOs. What matters are tangible results: schools, hospitals, roads, access to water, the creation of dignified jobs. If these meetings do not translate into real benefits for the ordinary citizen, they are nothing more than political tourism paid for with public funds.
The meeting with the French business leader should be analysed, not celebrated. Foreign policy must serve the national interest — and that interest begins and ends with the improvement of Angolans’ lives, not with the multiplication of gala dinners filled with promises that rarely materialise.
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