Ethiopia’s Election Landslide: New Power, New Worries

Mon Jun 22 2026 14:52:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party clinches an overwhelming majority, raising concerns over renewed conflict amid a tense security backdrop.

Ethiopia’s 1‑June election saw the Prosperity Party win 438 of 501 contested seats, cementing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s grip on power. The victory is set against a backdrop of serious security concerns: armed groups in Amhara and Oromia shut down 143 polling stations, and the fragile remainder of Tigray remains excluded. Analysts warn that the political victory may embolden hard‑liners, while Eritrea and Sudan spill‑over tensions could spill into the region, heightening fears of a new wave of fighting.

Ethiopia’s general election on 1 June was a clear landslide victory for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party, which captured 438 of the 501 contested seats. The move cements Abiy’s parliamentary majority, and he’ll be sworn in early next month for another term.

Yet the win came amid deep security concerns. Armed groups in Amhara and Oromia shut down 143 polling stations, while the conflict‑torn Tigray region—still nursing the scars of a two‑year civil war—was entirely excluded from the vote. Tensions with neighbouring Eritrea, where Ethiopia’s loss of a Red Sea port fuels imperial ambitions, add another layer of volatility.

Experts fear the concentration of power could push hard‑liners forward. The European Union has called for immediate de‑escalation in northern Ethiopia, and the US has targeted visa restrictions against key TPLF figures. With regional powers like Eritrea and Sudan already entangled, ABCafrica reports that the risk of a broader conflict remains high.