The new European diplomacy has only been in existence for a short time, but it is beginning to reap success. Its top manager, British Baroness Catherine Ashton, chosen at the time more for reasons of quota - gender, nationality and social democratic political family than for her own merits, has achieved a series of successes in recent days, turning around the reputation of the new European diplomatic service and her own image. Her mandate had been strongly criticized both for her style - she has often been called Lady Absent - and for the contrast with the brilliant management of her predecessor - the Spaniard Javier Solana - and the paucity of her achievements.

After so many disappointments, the EU's latest diplomatic achievements give reason for hope

In Egypt, he was able to meet with the deposed President Mursi, who is imprisoned in a remote location, and has promoted dialogue between the military in power and the opposition forces. Serbia and Kosovo have improved their relations and new prospects for rapprochement with the EU are opening up. The nuclear agreement reached by the six powers (USA, China, Russia, UK, France and Germany) with Iran is of great importance for the future of the Middle East. It has been obtained after numerous intense rounds of negotiations and Ashton has played a role core topic in reaching the understanding. Ukraine's niet to sign a agreement of association with the EU, because of Putin's strong pressure on Ukrainian leader Yanukovych, is becoming a media hit for the EU when large demonstrations of the Ukrainian population are taking place in protest against Kyiv's humiliating submission to Moscow. "We will not bow to pressure from Russia," said EU committee President Van Rompuy. "The times of limited (Soviet-style) sovereignty are over in Europe," said Durão Barroso. The apparent diplomatic fiasco of the recent Vilnius summit and the EU's association Eastern policy to attract the six former Soviet republics (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia) has so far resulted in the signature of agreements with Moldova and Georgia and the appearance before the whole world of a pro-European Ukraine blackmailed by Moscow. This is no small thing.

At a time when the EU is still more than ever turned in on itself trying to solve the crisis of the euro and its derivatives, it finally finds itself with tangible diplomatic successes and the media gratification of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in the east of the continent, many of them young, in favor of its full incorporation into the great European family. After so many disappointments, here are some reasons for hope.