This is not all. Each former imperial state received immigration from its former colonies, which was welcomed when cheap labor was needed, but which is certainly not welcomed now. The existence of large populations of Third World immigrants, especially Moslem, tends to raise feelings of vulnerability about national identity at a time when other factors have also called into question the model of the nation-state. What was once true for smaller states is now true for all European nations. The rise of the European Union has meant that basic economic decisions are made in Brussels and financial decisions made de facto in Frankfurt.
Economic geography regains priority over old political geography.
At a time of economic stagnation, prosperous regions may also become unwilling to subsidize poorer ones within their own country especially when there are ethnic or cultural or linguistic differences or where they feel that these poorer regions are simply on a permanent dole. The rise of popular culture has contributed to the loss of self-confidence and prestige of national cultures that were traditionally elitist and based largely on the printed word and unique object. At the very moment when national cultures are thus at risk, they are in turn challenged by immigration, which raises questions about the validity or feasibility of former models of assimilation. The industrial economy, which assimilated workers to a common national culture, has been replaced by a service economy, which emphasizes individuation. The growth of consumerism is bolstered by a more sophisticated advertising approach no longer directed at everyman but appealing to particular interests.