There are enthusiastic Europeans who would rather see the nation state consigned to the dustbin of history sooner rather than later. The threat from East and West is currently giving rise to more and more such zealots. However, the nation state is far from obsolete. And in all likelihood, it will not come to that. This is because in every federalist state (should the EU become one ...), the units that form it – i.e. the member states – remain intact. And that is a good thing! Because the nation state contributes significantly to the identity of many people. It is where democracy takes place. And it performs the tasks for which the European level is not necessary or (from today's perspective) not suitable.
