As the Afghanistan crisis subsides, the European question once again assumes centre stage. 'Surrender', a tabloid headline proclaimed shortly before Christmas. This wasn't an exhortation to Osama bin Laden, but rather the Daily Mail's considered description of Britain's latest concession to Europe. It had nothing to do with the euro: the polls suggest that the majority of Britons remain dead set against joining. But they also suggest that as a nation we are remarkably ignorant about the EU and its institutions. If we knew more, would we be more communitaire, or even less?

LRB 14 January 2002 | PDF Download