It is said that at the start of the 21st century a certain indifference and lethargy characterise many European states. This is supposedly attributable partly to the peace and affluence secured within the EC, but otherwise to doubts regarding the ways towards and objectives of further European integration. The emphasis on national identity on the one hand and hopes for a 'united states of Europe' on the other is an insurmountable paradox which produces its own dynamic. It seems almost impossible to reconcile these opposing concepts in a way which will find acceptance among the majority of the...