Chris Patten's courage and realism. The EU is, finally!, beginning to come closer to a realistic concept of its relations with third Mediterranean countries. I have always considered - and have not concealed it in this section - that some of the previous goals were demagogic or at least premature, beginning with the plan of a free-trade area by 2010. For many years, the results have, moreover, been extremely disappointing. Analyses and reflections on the causes of this failure are now...