Full text, catalogue, and publisher website
Publisher website:
Ethiopia’s volatile politics: the June 2026 parliamentary elections, the National Dialogue, and violent conflict
In an article in African Arguments, Jon Abbink reflects on the June 2026 parliamentary elections in Ethiopia. To no one's surprise, the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) led by PM Abiy Ahmed won the elections. The outcome has evoked few commentaries in the global media or even in Ethiopia itself. It was a well-organised operation, a classic case of what in Ethiopia since the Derg-regime (1974-1991) is called an “organisational operation” (Amharic: dirigitawi sera). That reflects political reality. Ethiopia still has no deep-rooted democratic political culture, certainly not on the national level: there was always violent competition for power and lack of freedoms, and people mostly went to the polls because of a mixture of duty, pride, and fear.
This article was published in African Arguments on 9 October 2026.
About the author(s) / editor(s)
Jon Abbink is Professor Emeritus of Politics and Governance in Africa at Leiden University. He is an anthropologist-historian and carries out research on the history and cultures of the Horn of Africa (Northeast Africa), particularly Ethiopia.
Posted on 29 October 2026, last modified on 29 October 2026