Mr Morsi goes to Brussels

BRUSSELS - This week’s visit by Egypt’s new President Mohammed Morsi to Brussels is an important opportunity for Europe to put its relationship with the new Egypt on the right footing

Morsi, less than three months in office, has surprised by the speed with which he has consolidated his power, and begun to make good on his promise to bring Egypt back from "marginalisation” to its "natural historic role”. And Europe already has ground to make up with him.

Given the scale of their own economic crisis, Europeans can fairly claim to have mustered a respectable first response to the Arab spring. Caught out in quiet complicity with the old autocrats Europeans had the grace to blush, move smartly to ‘the right side of history’, and promise to offer more effective support to North Africa’s transitions to democracy. (...)