On Europe

A fascinating detail of the foundation of the EU was that its main architects were all Catholics from marginal Geman-speaking areas: Adenauer (Rhineland), Schumann (Alsace), De Gasperi (Trentino Alto Adige). De Gasperi actually sat in the Vienna parliament pre 1914. They were actually trying, probably subconsciously, to recreate the Holy Roman Empire as it should have been.

With the decline of Christian Democrat belief, the EU has become a soulless economic machine, which engenders no emotional loyalty, although Germans and Italians are the strongest believers, and the ex-Protestant Brits and Scandinavians the least.

Churchill and De Gaulle were great, ruthless bastards, and thoroughgoing nationalists: they did revive their nations. The alternative for the EU would have been an assertive European nationalism : De Europe instead of De Gaulle and the "Neo-Austrians" above. Cannot see how that would have been possible post 1945.

I have been sceptical of an existential model of demographics - but note that the demographically healthiest parts of Europe still have a confident nationalism (yes, that is even true of those socialist nostalgics, the Scandinavians). Catholic German Ratzinger may be onto something, with the "neo-Austrian" model at the back of his mind. So are the French and British, but the models are hard to reconcile (the Catholic/post-Catholic soul of France has always battled with nationalism, and the nationalism has always won. Catholicism is also a proxy for nationalism in Poland). Europe sweeping back to Catholicism still seems deeply improbable however, and how would a European "national" leader arise. I don't see how things can go on as they are, however.

Oh, if only Bismarck had been a democrat... but he remembered the spineless ineffectual academics and lawyers in the 1848 Frankfurt parliament..