Dissapearance of national states in EU!

[johnstruthers]

Grandma has a point, of course. My problem with that type of thinking is it is reductionist, and doesn't really result in viable states. The Basques should find common cause with the Spanish, and the Spanish should stop persecuting the Basques, to the extent that they do at all, apart from annoyance factor.

One of the great tasks facing Central Europe (okay, Stas?) is the "deBalkanization of the Balkans," among others. Each of the Eupropean states has boundaries that can be argued, and in each area where an ethnic majority currently prevails, a brisk analysis will show them to have been interlopers, too. They have to get past this, and agree on governments that can serve all ethnic groups. How will this happen? Will it happen? Can it happen? I don't know.

Which returns us to my original notion, that indigenous power groups will be linked by commercial convenience. It's easier to get along with your "ethnic" neighbor if you are sharing the same loaf of bread.

[grandma]

<i> My problem with that type of thinking is
it is reductionist, and doesn't really result in viable states. The Basques should find common cause with the Spanish, and the panish should stop persecuting the Basques, to the extent that they do at all, apart from annoyance factor.</i>

In the new Europe Basque Country is perfectrly viable. And I see that every tiem Spanish and Basques are more and more distant...

[Phillip]

I think the point here Grandma is that in the EU all the National identities will have to undergo some changes. They will have to fit into a new central power. How they represent themselves under this power remains to be seen. (Will a recognised identity give you more clout in this system?)

It is very interesting what I have read so far.

I would imagine that the boarders and boundaries will become less of an issue. I imagine/guess/hope that Nationalism will subside and become far less evident then it is today.

There will be new boundaries based on the things that seperate the breadbasket. In time another form of Nationalism will take over, allbeit maybe a very long time.