International partnership as a mode of interaction that thrived in the aftermath of the Cold War is a relationship based on mutual trust and a sense of interdependence. Thus, the psychological and cognitive aspects of the partnership tend to be as influential as the contractual aspects, and the institutional modes of operation. In this respect, studies of Eastern and Southern Mediterranean perceptions of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (henceforth the EMP) are especially important, given the theoretical assumptions about ideal partnership and policy imperatives.

Fuzzy attitudes towards the EMP are most notable in the case of Egypt. Although EMP enjoys a high level of credibility and generates considerable consensus among the public and decision-makers, detailed objectives, and cost-benefit assessments of joining are sharply contested and little publicized beyond officials and the business class that is directly involved. This paper explores Egyptian views of the EMP by analysing discourse on the partnership in the Egyptian press. The aim is to describe attitudes towards the partnership and different areas of cooperation, and to see whether the partnership is viewed as a comprehensive political, economic and cultural enterprise.