The rule of president Embaló was characterized by growing authoritarian tendencies. While opposition figures and media outlets faced mounting pressure and persecution, the parliament was dissolved by Embaló, disregarding constitutional deadlines for new elections. His authoritarian approach also created frictions within the executive as the president has claimed competences that correspond to the prime minister.
Although economic development has been very positive in recent years, low incomes and the low quality of government services have contributed to the country’s weak overall performance. The economy remains poorly diversified and marked by multilevel corruption and narco-trafficking.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the country’s very fragile education system, with classes being cancelled for several months. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau remains one of the least developed countries in the world. Political instability, due to the long political stalemate, was a major factor that prevented necessary reforms.
