Other symbols of individual nationhood will inevitably follow. How far individual nations will be willing to submerge their sovereignty in a European superstate remains to be seen, but the momentum toward consolidation and unification is increasing on many fronts. Even countries who do not really want a closer union concede there is merit in the idea. In the first half of this century, the Western European nations ravaged each other in devastating wars. The second half has brought peace, but wars in the Balkans and the old Soviet Union have shown that war on European soil is still a possibility.
Nobody wants that.
Most Europeans are enjoying unprecedented prosperity. The once heavily defended frontiers are now unguarded, and you can travel around most of Europe without having to show a passport. Former enemies are now linked by a high-speed rail network. Whereas some see increased unity as a wonderfully progressive idea, others are warning that it will lead to catastrophe. And as you'd expect, some are insisting it is the fulfillment of doomsday prophecies.