EU Freezes €156 Million Aid to Tanzania Amid Post Election Rights Concerns

November 27 2025 - In a dramatic move signalling growing international concern, the European Parliament has formally rejected a major 2026 aid package to Tanzania, citing what it calls “systemic democratic backsliding” and serious human rights violations following the country’s controversial October 2025 elections. The decision, adopted by two key committees, has forced the European Commission to suspend the proposed funding, effectively putting Tanzania’s development cooperation with the EU on hold.

How did Tanzania Get Here?

The Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Development (DEVE) committees adopted a resolution objecting to a €156 million allocation under the EU’s 2025–2027 NDICI Global Europe programme. MEPs described the draft funding arrangement as inconsistent with fundamental EU values, pointing to reported excessive use of force, arrests of opposition figures, media restrictions, and politically motivated trials in the aftermath of the elections.

The committees called on the European Commission to withdraw the draft implementing act and reassess the funding decision, a move that has already led to a suspension of the plan.

Question of Governance, Aid & Economy

For Tanzania, this is more than a budgetary hiccup. The aid in question was to support a range of development initiatives: from education, health, and civil society programming to infrastructure and environmental projects. The freeze risks derailing or delaying many planned programmes, affecting vulnerable communities and undermining confidence among other donors and investors.

Moreover, the decision sends a strong signal that foreign aid is increasingly conditional on governance standards, political freedoms, and human rights compliance. For Eastern Africa, where development aid is still a major source of funding for public programmes, this could set a precedent and influence how governments behave in future elections and crackdowns.

Speaking after the vote, David McAllister, chair of the AFET committee, said: “This is a clear political signal that the EU cannot proceed on the basis of documents that ignore repression, fraudulent elections and the government’s authoritarian rule. ”In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s government responded with anger, dismissing the move as interference in domestic affairs. A note from the Embassy in Brussels described the hearing as “unilateral and made without prior consultation”, accusing the Parliament of acting on “unverified reports and onesided narratives.”

Local officials said the country remains committed to its constitutional processes and internal inquiry mechanisms, and urged that any external assessment respect Tanzania’s judicial independence and sovereignty.