In this commentary, Fatema Jafari, a former Policy Leader Fellow at EUI, calls on the European Union and the rest of the ‘international community’ not to tolerate Taliban brutality but to keep up the pressure on Taliban leaders to respect fundamental human rights and political freedoms.

The Taliban’s ascent to power in Afghanistan marks the end of US state building efforts and perhaps of liberal interventionism. The US and its European allies failed to establish legitimate governance, and thousands of Afghans suffer the consequences. SPS researcher Wolfgang Minatti points out why the Taliban now face a similar challenge.