Assessing the State of the Developmental State Model in Post-2018 Ethiopia

Abstract

Until recently, Ethiopia’s experiment with the developmental state model
since 2002 has been a milestone in the post-1991 political trajectory
of the country. The model, however, seems to be losing its momentum
following the changes seen in recent years. This article examines what the
core reform measures introduced in post-2018 Ethiopia by the Prosperity
Party mean for the viability of the developmental state model. It finds that
these reforms – propelled by the ethos and institutions of medemer (in
English, “synergy”) – suggest a major policy shift towards a liberal form
of political economy. This move reverses the revolutionary-democracydriven
developmentalism applied by the now-defunct Ethiopian People’s
Revolutionary Democratic Front. However, a deeper understanding of the
reforms underlines the continued relevance of a state-led developmental
approach for shaping the country’s political economy.