Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party Urges Shift from Zero-sum Politics in Africa

Addis Ababa, August 12, 2025 (ENA)—African political leaders must move beyond zero sum thinking to ensure a prosperous and peaceful continent, Ethiopian ruling Prosperity Party underscored during the 2025 African Political Parties Summit officially opened today in Ghana.

Vice President of the Prosperity Party and Head of the Coordination Center for Democracy Building, with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister, Adem Farah delivered a speech at the African Political Parties Summit.

The African Political Parties Summit is underway in Ghana from August 12th to 14th, 2025, under the theme: “From Politics to Prosperity: Strengthening Inter-Party Collaboration for Africa’s Development and Economic Transformation.”

 In his address to leaders of political parties, civil society organizations, international organizations, and other stakeholders, Adem Farah emphasized that "the future of Africa depends on the choices we make."

He urged political leaders to move beyond zero-sum politics and adopt more inclusive approaches.

“….the future of our continent depends on the choices we as political leaders make today. For a long time, politics in many of our countries has been driven by power struggles, short term agendas and rivals draining national energy. We must move beyond zero sum thinking, seeing political parties not as ends in themselves, but as instruments for inclusive, prosperous and peaceful nations.”

Adem Farah shared Ethiopia’s experience in political development, highlighting the country's guiding philosophy of "Medemer," which roughly translates to "synergy."

“In Ethiopia, this shift has been central to our political reform. The prosperity party was not born merely as a merger of organizations. It was the conscious choice to replace narrow identity politics with a unifying multinational vision.

We anchored that vision in Medemer, loosely translated as synergy, our guiding principle, articulated by His Excellency, Abiy Ahmed, president of the prosperity party and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia,” Adem underscored.

He explained that this philosophy promotes unity among political actors by focusing on shared agendas and collective goals.

 He noted that although the Prosperity Party secured a majority in national elections, it has included opposition party leaders in the government cabinet. Specifically, four ministers and three state ministers currently serving in Ethiopia’s federal government were drawn from opposition political parties.

Farah underlined that working with opposition parties fosters national consensus, which he described as essential for sustainable development.

In addition, he shared Ethiopia’s efforts in promoting gender balance within the federal cabinet, noting that 50% of ministers are women.

He also highlighted Ethiopia’s initiative to empower youth in leadership, stating that 49% of leadership positions across the country’s administrative structure are held by young people.