Thursday 23/October/2025 – 07:55 PM
Between the shiny walls of the European Hall in Brussels and the prevailing protocol calm, and the faces that mastered the language of cold diplomacy, the Egyptian state was present with a different tone in a scene that redrew the boundaries of the balance between the South and the North.
When Cairo sat at the European Union table, there were no delegations requested, nor words received from a position of defense, but rather the presence of a country trying to formulate a new equation with the old continent, and a confident speech announcing a different stage in the language of international relations, a stage entitled “partnership with confidence” and not “aid with conditions,” an equation that maintains the balance between the need for cooperation and the original principle of independence and equality.
Shifting from cooperation to strategic partnership
The most prominent outcome of the summit was the announcement of the transformation of the relationship between Cairo and Brussels from “cooperation” to “strategic partnership,” a simple term on its face, but it reflects a fundamental change in Egypt’s regional and international position. The country, which until recently dealt with the European Union as a limited economic partner, is now seen as a pillar of stability in the Middle East and a reliable mediator in the region’s crises.
This is what the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, expressed when he said, “Egypt plays a pivotal role in achieving regional stability and combating illegal immigration and terrorism.” This political testimony did not come as a compliment, but rather the result of years of Egyptian effort in managing complex files, from mediation in the Gaza war to securing the southern border and combating terrorist organizations.
4 billion euros… support or investment?
Among the summit’s outcomes was the announcement of a financial support package amounting to 4 billion euros to be provided to Egypt within the framework of strengthening the economy and financial stability.
Here arises the question being circulated in the media and political circles: Is this a support grant provided by Europe to Egypt? Or a strategic investment through which Europe guarantees the stability of its southern partner?
In fact, Cairo did not deal with the package from the recipient’s position, but rather from the partner’s position. The Egyptian statement clearly indicated that the funds would be directed to clean energy projects, expanding green hydrogen projects, and infrastructure, which are sectors that serve both sides.
Perhaps what distinguishes this agreement, which opened the door to economic cooperation that guarantees mutual interests, is that it came after a year of technical negotiations that the Egyptian government managed calmly and meticulously, to ensure that the partnership would not be burdened with any conditions that would affect national sovereignty.
Media between image and analysis
At a time when some European media outlets dealt with the event from the perspective of “aid in exchange for cooperation,” focusing in their coverage on the fact that the financial packages that Europe is providing to Egypt are not just “humanitarian aid,” but rather are part of a strategic cooperation deal: for example, “The Brussels Times” report referred to a billion-dollar loan in preparation for commercial opportunities, while “The National” linked the funding to enhancing Economic relations, and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung article softened the picture, saying that the goal was to encourage the reform agenda and confront migration. All of this coverage confirms that the European media sees the relationship as mutual cooperation rather than as unrequited support.
While the Egyptian media dealt with it from a completely different angle, instead of focusing on amounts and numbers, it highlighted the international recognition of Egypt’s status and its regional role, which reflects media awareness of the necessity of managing the mental image of the country abroad.
But the biggest challenge facing the Egyptian media remains the transition from reporting the news to analyzing the event.
A statement of this size cannot be reduced to official statements only, but rather requires an in-depth discussion that explains to public opinion why Europe needs Egypt more than Egypt currently needs it?
The geopolitical transformations in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the successive crises in the immigration and energy issue, have made Cairo a real center of balance, which European capitals are well aware of.
Egypt’s role in the regional security equation
The summit was not limited to the economy. In President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s speech, he stressed that “Egypt will continue to work for the security and stability of the region, based on its historical responsibility towards its Arab and African surroundings.”
A sentence that sums up the doctrine of Egyptian politics in recent years, as it is a country that does not isolate itself from regional issues, and does not allow chaos to approach its borders. In fact, the Egyptian role in the Gaza file, and the mediation between the Palestinian and Israeli parties, as well as in the file of immigration from the African coast, made the European Union realize that Egypt’s stability is a basic condition for the stability of the entire Mediterranean.
Hence the idea of “strategic partnership” came, not as a mere diplomatic title, but as a new political principle governing the relationship between Cairo and Europe in the coming decade.
Heliopolis…and mutual trust
The European discourse was distinguished this time by moving away from the language of “demands and dictates” that had characterized the European discourse on the issues of democracy and human rights over the past decade. Here, too, reference was made to the state’s proactive steps, when President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed the government on September 30 to prepare a national strategy for human rights and integrate it into all of the state’s national plans and programs, declaring before the Brussels summit that it places the human being at the heart of politics, not on its margins.
Now there is talk of “mutual trust” and “understanding on common interests,” which are creditable signals for Egyptian diplomacy, which has succeeded in transforming the language of dialogue into the language of partnership, not guardianship.
It is noteworthy that this transformation did not come by chance, but rather is an extension of a series of deliberate movements – from the “Egypt Vision 2030” conference to the agreements of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, then the National Strategy for Human Rights launched by Cairo in 2021, all of which are clear messages that Egypt is moving with an integrated vision that combines internal reform and external openness.
A partnership at the price of pride
The Brussels summit was not just a passing event in the calendar of Egyptian-European relations. Rather, it was an announcement of a new phase in which Europe realizes that Cairo is no longer a country managed by crises, but rather a partner on which regional stability can be built.
With all the economic and political details that the agreements contain, the most important thing remains to preserve the independence of the national decision, and for the partnership to remain based on equality, not dependency.
Egypt, with its history, weight, and location, has not and will not be a card in anyone’s hand. Rather, it remains as it has always been… a country that creates events, and does not wait for them to be created for it.
