Is European nationalism failing because of a lack of myths?
The European integration process has ground to a halt. As the voting behaviour patterns of the French and Dutch electorates in the referenda on the draft European constitution in 2005 showed, some sections of the European population, at least, are no longer prepared to accept the EU as an elite project with limited democratic legitimation. It becomes apparent that, as soon as increasing burdens and large-scale redistributions are expected, there are only few loyalty dispositions in relation to the EU, and these remain strictly limited to the nation state. If European integration is also to be successful in structuring its constitution in particular, then a European identity must be formed, since a common democratic society necessarily requires identity dispositions which enable the acceptance of decisions on the part of the overruled minority of the electorate. This identity can only come about within a public sphere regarded as generally accessible by the entire electorate. I am thus
